Ronaldo's Departure from Portugal Camp Raises Questions About His Future

The former Real Madrid striker was scheduled to train with his teammates at the 'Parken' stadium on the eve of the European Nations League match against the Danes, but left after Jesus' announcement.

Ronaldo wrote on Instagram, 'After the national team coach's press conference, and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I made the decision to leave the national team.'

Ronaldo had been on the bench throughout the match in which Portugal defeated Norway 2-1 on Sunday in the Nations League, after captaining the team to a 1-0 victory over Wales at home.

It is customary for national team coaches to rotate their players in such matches that do not carry the same importance as the World Cup or the European Cup.

However, Ronaldo seemed to suggest that the reasons behind Jesus' decision were deeper than that.

He added in statements hinting at a possible retirement from international football, 'In due time, I will reveal to the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team to which I have always dedicated myself.'

He continued, 'Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates the best of luck in the future, without exception.'

Spanish sports newspaper Marca reported that Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença accompanied Ronaldo to Copenhagen Airport in an attempt to persuade him to stay with the national team, before the player boarded his private plane.

Jesus had previously insisted that there was no conflict between him and Ronaldo, despite the 72-year-old coach, who took over in July, admitting that his captain was disappointed to have been benched against Norway.

The news sparked a wave of mocking images on social media, as well as an angry reaction from Ronaldo's sister, Elma Aveiro.

She said of the Portuguese people on Instagram, 'They do not deserve to have the best in anything.'

Nothing warrants all this fuss

The Oslo match was the first time since November 2024 that Ronaldo had not played for Portugal without being injured or suspended.

Jesus told reporters after that match, who had coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr for a year before taking charge of Portugal, 'Nothing happened at all.'

He added on Wednesday: 'Any player, and I was a player myself... when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don't play... no one is happy about that.'

The Portuguese coach also said that he had informed Ronaldo before the match that he would not be in the starting lineup, but indicated that he might be involved later.

Jesus asserted, 'After that, as the coach, I decided not to include him. Nothing warrants all this fuss.'

The Portuguese Football Federation said after Ronaldo's departure, 'The preparations for the matches against Denmark and Norway... continue as planned with the 24 remaining players in the national team squad.'

It added, 'All members of the mission remain fully focused on the upcoming national team commitments and on achieving the set goals.'

Jesus had previously said that he intended to once again start Italian striker Gonçalo Ramos against Denmark, after he scored the winning goal in Norway.

He said, 'If everything goes according to plan, Gonçalo will be the one who plays,' before adding about Ronaldo, 'If I need him, I will include him. If I don't need him, I won't.'

Ronaldo had recently announced that the current season would 'probably be my last in football.'

The former Juventus and Manchester United star holds the record for the most goals and international appearances for Portugal, with 146 goals in 234 matches.

The striker, who began his professional career with Sporting, played his first international match in 2003 at the age of 18.

The following year, he played for the Portuguese team that lost the 2004 European Cup final at home to Greece, then reached the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, and led his country to win the 2016 European Cup.

Ronaldo and Portugal were eliminated in the round of 16 of this year's World Cup by Spain.