Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal’s national team training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday, September 30, after coach Jorge Jesus said the forward would not start Thursday’s Nations League match against Denmark.
Ronaldo confirmed his departure in a statement on social media after Jesus’ pre-match press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença.
“Following the national team manager’s press conference, and after a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo said in a statement translated from Portuguese.
He added that, “in due course,” he would tell Portuguese fans the reasons behind his departure, before wishing Portugal and his teammates the best of luck.
Ronaldo did not announce his retirement from international football in the statement. However, Portuguese newspaper O Jogo reported that he had made an irreversible decision to no longer represent Portugal, raising the possibility that his 23-year international career has ended.
The departure followed several days of tension surrounding Ronaldo’s role under Jesus, who was appointed Portugal coach after the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo started Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales on September 24 and was substituted in the 67th minute. He then remained on the bench during Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on September 27.
Jesus said he had initially expected Ronaldo to play against Norway but changed his mind during the match. He acknowledged that it was a mistake to have Ronaldo warm up for an extended period without bringing him on, adding that any player would have been upset by the situation.
Ahead of the Denmark match, Jesus said he would not start Ronaldo and that Gonçalo Ramos would lead the attack if everything went according to plan.
“It seems like there was an issue between us, but there was no issue. I’m the one who makes the decisions and everybody knows that,” Jesus said.
He also said Ronaldo had told him he would accept whatever decision the coach made about his involvement.
Ronaldo subsequently left the training camp. The FPF confirmed his departure and said preparations for the Denmark match and Sunday’s home game against Norway would continue with the remaining 24 players.
The circumstances have prompted reports that Ronaldo’s international career could be over, but his own statement stopped short of announcing retirement. His promised explanation is expected to provide more clarity on the reasons for his departure.
Ronaldo, 41, made his Portugal debut against Kazakhstan on August 20, 2003. He is the country’s record appearance holder with 234 caps and its leading international goalscorer with 146 goals. He also helped Portugal win the European Championship in 2016.
Portugal entered Thursday’s match against Denmark with six points from two Nations League games, following wins over Wales and Norway. Denmark had three points after beating Wales.
