According to a report by Daily Post on Friday, November 6, 2026, Jose Mourinho has said it is too early to determine whether Cristiano Ronaldo will venture into football management after bringing his playing career to an end. The Portuguese manager made the remarks following the 41-year-old’s announcement that he would no longer represent Portugal at international level.

Mourinho spoke to reporters at Valdebebas on Friday, a day after Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football, ending a 23-year spell with the national team. The former Real Madrid manager said the decision should be respected, noting that the forward still has personal ambitions and professional objectives to fulfil with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

However, Mourinho admitted that he would have liked Ronaldo to receive a different kind of farewell from the Portuguese national team. He stressed that the decision was entirely the player’s to make, adding that those familiar with the forward understand he still has several ambitions he wants to accomplish in football.

Asked whether he could see Ronaldo becoming a coach after retirement, Mourinho said he was not in a position to predict what the future holds. He maintained that discussions about the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star taking up a managerial role were premature.

Ronaldo has previously addressed the possibility of moving into coaching. Following his contract extension with Al-Nassr, he revealed that becoming a manager was not part of his plans, whether in the next five, 10 or 20 years. Nevertheless, he did not completely dismiss the possibility, explaining that he could not use the word “never” because it was too strong.

The forward announced his international retirement on Thursday after representing Portugal 234 times and scoring a record 146 goals. During his international career, he helped his country win the 2016 European Championship and three UEFA Nations League titles.

His announcement also came amid reports of tension involving Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo was reportedly accused of leaving the national team camp without permission after being excluded from a Nations League fixture, an incident said to have resulted in a 30-day suspension from the Portuguese Football Federation.

Although he has ended his international career, Ronaldo remains committed to playing for Al-Nassr. However, whether he will eventually pursue a career in football management remains an open question, with neither the player nor Mourinho indicating that he is preparing to move into coaching.