Cristiano Ronaldo has departed from Portugal’s training base prior to Thursday’s Nations League encounter with Denmark, stating that he will disclose the reasons for his choice at a later time.
The Portuguese Football Federation verified his exit through a brief announcement, and Ronaldo subsequently commented on the matter via Instagram. The 41-year-old mentioned that he had conversed with federation president Pedro Proença prior to making the decision to depart from the squad.
Cristiano Ronaldo departs Portugal squad
Ronaldo stated that his choice was made after Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus conducted his pre-match press conference in Copenhagen. He further mentioned that he would eventually clarify “the truth” regarding his departure from the national team while extending good wishes to Portugal and his teammates.
This departure comes after Ronaldo was kept on the bench for the whole 2-1 victory against Norway on Sunday. Gonçalo Ramos began in his position and scored, whereas Ronaldo did not participate in the match.
This was merely the third instance in Ronaldo’s international career that he stayed as an unused substitute. The Portugal captain has achieved a record 234 caps for his nation and netted 146 goals since his debut 23 years ago.
Jorge Jesus clarifies Ronaldo’s circumstances
Ronaldo also did not attend training on Monday and Tuesday, though the FPF did not mention any injury. The Athletic reported that a meeting involving Ronaldo, Jesus, and federation president Pedro Proença was arranged for Wednesday to settle the matter.
Jesus, who had earlier coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, stated there had been “no incident whatsoever”. He clarified that he had come to an agreement with Ronaldo regarding the two Nations League fixtures but altered his plans depending on the situation.
Jesus mentioned he had informed Ronaldo that he would not feature against either Norway or Denmark, citing the demands of playing matches every three days. He noted that his prior experience of collaborating with Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia had demonstrated that the forward seldom played both games under such conditions.
The Portugal coach also admitted that it was an error to have Ronaldo warming up for a prolonged period without ultimately bringing him on. Simultaneously, Jesus emphasized that he retained authority over selection choices, stating: “I’m the coach. No player will ever make a decision for me.”
Ronaldo’s Portugal future still uncertain
The recent turn of events has rendered Ronaldo’s international future ambiguous. The forward had been anticipated by some to contemplate concluding his Portugal career following the 2026 World Cup elimination by Spain but instead carried on into the Nations League campaign.
Ronaldo has already led Portugal to significant international triumphs, securing Euro 2016 and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He also continues to be the record holder for caps and goals in men’s international football.
At present, Portugal will proceed with preparations for Denmark using 24 players. Ronaldo has not yet openly specified the reasons for his choice, merely saying that he will clarify them “in due course”.