Cristiano Ronaldo has left the Portugal national team training camp in Copenhagen, just days after being left on the bench during the team’s Nations League victory over Norway.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain confirmed his departure on Wednesday, September 30, saying his decision followed comments made by head coach Jorge Jesus and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença.
Ronaldo announced the decision through social media, saying he would explain the reasons behind his departure “in due course” while wishing Portugal and his teammates success in their upcoming matches.
The situation developed after Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway, where Ronaldo was named among the substitutes and remained unused for the entire match.
Jesus subsequently acknowledged that Ronaldo was unhappy after not being introduced, although the coach rejected reports of a serious confrontation between them.
Jesus also denied claims that Ronaldo had refused to train with the squad.
Ahead of Portugal’s next Nations League fixture against Denmark, Jesus indicated that Ronaldo would not start the match. Shortly after the coach’s press conference, Ronaldo left the training camp.
The FPF later confirmed his departure and said the remaining 24 players would continue preparations for the team’s upcoming fixtures.
Ronaldo’s Portugal future now uncertain
Ronaldo’s departure has raised questions about whether the incident could affect his international future.
However, there has been no official announcement that Ronaldo has retired from international football.
His statement only confirmed that he had left the current training camp and that he would explain his reasons at a later stage.
Ronaldo remains Portugal’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, having made 234 appearances and scored 146 international goals.
