Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has left the national team’s training camp in Copenhagen ahead of the country’s Nations League clash with Denmark, following growing reports of tension between the veteran forward and head coach Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo confirmed his decision to leave the camp in a statement posted on Instagram after speaking with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.
The 41-year-old said he would reveal the reasons behind his decision “in due course” and wished Portugal and his teammates success in their upcoming matches. He did not announce his retirement from international football...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently confirmed Ronaldo’s departure and said preparations for the team’s upcoming fixtures would continue with the remaining 24 players.
The situation escalated after Ronaldo was left on the bench throughout Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on Sunday.
Ronaldo had been included in Jesus’ squad for the international break but did not come onto the pitch despite warming up. Jesus later explained that he had decided against bringing him on based on how he assessed the match.
The forward subsequently worked in the gym rather than with the rest of the squad on some of the following training days.
Before Portugal’s final training session ahead of the Denmark match, Jesus denied reports that Ronaldo had refused to train.
The coach said there had been no incident between them and maintained that Ronaldo was expected to train with the team.
Jesus also made it clear that he would retain full authority over team selection, saying that no player would change his tactical decisions.
However, Ronaldo did not take part in the session and subsequently left the training camp.
The sudden departure has generated questions about Ronaldo’s future with Portugal, although there has been no announcement that he is retiring from international football.
Ronaldo remains Portugal’s record goalscorer and most-capped player, with 146 goals in 234 appearances for the national team.
He had previously indicated that he intended to continue playing for Portugal after the 2026 World Cup, while also pursuing the possibility of reaching 1,000 career goals.
For now, Portugal will continue its Nations League campaign without its captain for the Denmark fixture, while attention remains on whether Ronaldo will provide further details about the circumstances surrounding his departure.
