According to a report by Daily Post on Friday, November 6, 2026, Jose Mourinho has admitted that it is too early to predict whether Cristiano Ronaldo will become a football manager after retiring as a player, following the Portuguese forward's decision to end his international career.

Mourinho spoke to journalists at Valdebebas on Friday, a day after Ronaldo announced the end of his 23-year international career with Portugal. The Real Madrid manager said his former forward's decision should be respected, pointing out that the 41-year-old still has ambitions to achieve at club level with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

However, Mourinho revealed that he would have preferred Ronaldo to receive a different farewell from international football.

“His decision must be respected, and I respect it. He hasn’t finished his career; those who know him know he still has goals for his career, and the only thing I would like is for his retirement as a player to be different from yesterday’s,” Mourinho said.

When asked whether he could imagine Ronaldo taking up a coaching role after hanging up his boots, Mourinho said he was not ready to make a prediction.

“As for whether I see him as a coach, I don’t know what to say. It’s still too early,” he added.

Ronaldo has previously suggested that becoming a coach is not part of his future plans. Following his contract extension with Al-Nassr, the Portugal captain ruled out a managerial career, although he admitted that his position could change over time.

“Being a coach? Right now, I can say I will never be one, although ‘never’ is a strong word. The reality is that it’s not in my plans in five, 10, or even 20 years,” he said.

Ronaldo announced his international retirement on Thursday after making 234 appearances and scoring a record 146 goals for Portugal. During his international career, he won the 2016 European Championship and three UEFA Nations League titles.

His announcement came amid reports of disagreements with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo was reportedly accused of leaving the national team camp without permission after being left out of a Nations League fixture, leading to a 30-day suspension from the Portuguese Football Federation.