Former Manchester City and Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus has shared his reaction to Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to retire from international football with Portugal. The Brazilian striker admitted he expected the Portuguese legend to continue his national team career.
Ronaldo called time on his Portugal career after establishing records of 146 goals and 234 appearances for his country. The 41-year-old forward made the announcement following Portugal's recent international fixtures.
"I thought he'd come back," Jesus said regarding Ronaldo's retirement decision. The comment reflects the widespread surprise in the football community at the definitive nature of Ronaldo's departure from the national team setup.
Ronaldo's international career spanned nearly two decades, beginning with his debut in 2003. He captained Portugal to their first major tournament victories at Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League, while becoming the all-time leading scorer in men's international football.
