'Undermining himself': Jorge Jesus leaves the door open for Cristiano Ronaldo
Gab Marcotti, Shaka Hislop, Herculez Gomez and Jermaine Jones pick apart the Portugal coach's words after the win over Norway, and viewers who heard the press conference in Portuguese are retelling it themselves.
ESPN UKStory of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 93,968 views a day, 11 times a normal first day on this channel (8,254).
‘UNDERMINING HIMSELF!’ Jorge Jesus opens door for Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Portugal | ESPN FC
After Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of Portugal's camp, as we reported here, the obvious question was whether that was the end. Jorge Jesus has now answered it, and he did not slam the door. His comments after Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win over Norway are the subject of ESPN FC's newest panel, and the video's title borrows its sharpest line from the debate: "Undermining himself!"
The panel brings some history to the subject. Jermaine Jones has met Ronaldo's Portugal on the biggest stage: his long-range strike pulled the United States level in their 2-2 draw in Manaus at the 2014 World Cup. Gab Marcotti, Shaka Hislop and Herculez Gomez fill out a lineup that has spent the whole week on this story.
The comment section moved even faster than the views. In about six hours it gathered more than twice the comments an ESPN UK video usually collects in its entire first day, and much of it reads like a second press conference. Viewers who watched Jesus in Portuguese retell what they heard: that the coach insists he alone decides who plays, and that whether Ronaldo carries on with Portugal is Ronaldo's call. One asks for a better translation. Others argue with a point Marcotti makes around the five-minute mark, and a running joke casts him as Ronaldo's man on the panel.
The same Sunday brought ESPN UK two other reaction shows that ran well ahead of a usual start: England putting seven past Croatia, and Lamine Yamal leading Spain past Czechia. Neither drew a crowd like Ronaldo's absence did. It is the third Portugal-and-Ronaldo panel in a week to stand out on the channel, and the first in which the topic is a way back.
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What viewers say
Jorge Jesus is playing this whole saga like a grandmaster. He knows that Ronaldo won't come back and he knows that Portugal players don't want him back.
@Mr.D34See it on YouTubeWhat a strike by Cancelo
@亜久里5See it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
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- Channel
- ESPN UK
- Subscribers
- 1,600,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 7,972,809
- Channel views, pace per day
- 505,299 (on a normal day: 1,164,099)
- Video published
- October 4, 2026
- Video views so far
- 37,289 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 93,968
The numbers
In its first six hours the video passed 37,000 views, a pace far beyond a usual first day on this channel.
💡 Test your knowledge
Shaka Hislop, one of the four voices on the panel, played international football for which country?
Hislop kept goal for Trinidad and Tobago, including at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
