▲ Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), 41, has voluntarily left the national team's training camp.
This happened a few hours after national team head coach Jorge Jesus announced that Ronaldo would not be named in the starting lineup for the UEFA Nations League (UNL) League A Group 4 away match against Denmark, scheduled for October 2.
Ronaldo stated via his social media on October 1, "Following the national team coach's press conference and after speaking with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team training camp."
He added, "When the time is right, I will tell the truth to all the people of Portugal about why I am leaving the national team," and noted, "I have always been dedicated to the national team."
He concluded his message by writing, "Now, I hope Portugal and all my national team teammates have the best of luck."
Portugal will play the third match of Group 4 in League A of the 2026-2027 UNL against Denmark at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the morning of October 2.
According to the Associated Press and other reports, Coach Jesus stated during a press conference held a day before the match that he had no plans to start Ronaldo against Denmark.
At the same time, he dismissed claims of a fallout with Ronaldo.
Jesus conveyed that all players know the final decision regarding selection rests with the coach, and that Ronaldo also said he would follow any decision he makes.
He also emphasized, "The rules apply equally to all players," and stated that if everything goes according to plan, Gonçalo Ramos will start up front against Denmark.
He then stated, "If we need Ronaldo at some point, we will use him. If we don't need him, he won't play."
Ronaldo, who previously stated that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which concluded last July, was his final FIFA World Cup but avoided giving a definitive answer on whether he would retire from the national team, was included in the 25-player Portugal squad for four UNL matches spanning September and October.
He had vowed to achieve both Portugal's third UNL title and his personal milestone of 1,000 official career goals, stating, "Both goals are important: reaching 1,000 goals and the national team. Winning the Nations League will open a new era."
Ronaldo has scored 146 goals for the national team and 833 goals in club competitions, totaling 979 goals, leaving him 21 goals short of the 1,000-goal mark.
Ronaldo started and played 67 minutes in Portugal's opening UNL match of the season against Wales on September 25 (a 1-0 win), but three days later, in the second match against Norway (a 2-1 win), he was named among the substitutes and ultimately spent the entire match on the bench.
After the match, Ronaldo headed straight to the locker room, separating himself from his teammates who approached the traveling Portuguese fans to thank them.
Following this, rumors of a conflict with Coach Jesus spread as he also skipped team training.
Coach Jesus, who took over as Portugal's head coach last July after spending about a year managing Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr alongside Ronaldo, denied any rift, saying, "It seemed like there was a problem between us, but in reality, there was no problem at all."
Regarding the missed team training, he explained that Ronaldo was merely undergoing individual training for "flexibility" and "strength conditioning," and stated that he would normally participate in the next training session.
However, Ronaldo did not step onto the pitch with his teammates during the team training session held on Wednesday local time.
Portuguese media also released footage of Ronaldo leaving Parken Stadium accompanied by two staff members.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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