Regragui expresses his dissatisfaction with the way the Portuguese national team handled Ronaldo.

Walid Regragui, the former coach of the Moroccan national football team, believes that Cristiano Ronaldo has not received the same recognition as Argentina's Lionel Messi in his home country, pointing out that the management of the final stages of the current Al Nassr star's international career "has not been successful."

The Portuguese Football Federation announced on Saturday that it has begun disciplinary proceedings against Ronaldo (41 years old), who left the national team's camp after a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus regarding his participation in recent matches for Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.

During his appearance on the "Canal Football Club" program on the French channel Canal+, Regragui stated on Sunday that Ronaldo has contributed significantly to Portuguese football, enhancing the status of Portuguese players and giving his national team a greater presence on the international stage.

The former "Atlas Lions" captain added, "Cristiano Ronaldo has given so much to Portugal; the status that many Portuguese players, as well as Portuguese football itself, have gained is due to what Ronaldo has achieved."

Commenting on the controversy surrounding the Portuguese star, Regragui emphasized that what Ronaldo has done does not mean he can act without restrictions; however, he criticized the way matters have been handled recently, stressing that communication between the parties involved should have been clearer.

He said in this context, "This does not give him the right to do whatever he wants; but I believe that everything in this final phase has been managed inappropriately. They should have sat down with him and told him: 'We need to stop here.'"

Walid Regragui, who resigned from his position as head coach of the "Atlas Lions" in March 2026 after four years that included reaching the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, discussed the relationship between Ronaldo and his former coach at Al Nassr, Jorge Jesus, noting that their prior acquaintance could have allowed for clearer dialogue about the player's future with the Portuguese national team, considering that what happened negatively affected both parties.

He also addressed the comparison between Ronaldo and Messi in the mentioned television program, indicating that the Portuguese star's ambition may be linked to his desire to reach the milestone of one thousand goals during his career, possibly achieving that with his national team.

The former Moroccan national team coach stated, "I believe that Ronaldo, driven by pride as well, wants to reach a thousand goals, and perhaps achieve that with the national team. But the final outcome reflects a negative image."

He added, "What I want to say is that what happened would never have occurred in Argentina. The immense admiration that Argentinians have for Messi, as well as the players for him, I did not feel that the Portuguese showed Ronaldo the same level."

Walid Regragui clarified that Argentine players showed a willingness to put in the effort and fight for Messi, even during the last World Cup; while he considered that the Portuguese national team did not demonstrate the same level of collective support around Ronaldo.