Key Points
- Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal’s Nations League camp in Copenhagen after coach Jorge Jesus said he would again start on the bench against Denmark.
- Portugal won 4-2 without him, with goals from Joao Cancelo, Goncalo Ramos, Vitinha and Joao Felix, for a third straight Nations League win.
- Ronaldo, 41, is Portugal’s record scorer with 146 goals in 234 games, and the walkout has raised doubts about his international future.
- He has promised to explain his reasons in due course; he has not announced an international retirement, and Portugal host Norway on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has walked out on Portugal. The 41-year-old captain left the national team’s Nations League camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday, hours after coach Jorge Jesus confirmed he would not start against Denmark for a second straight game. A day later, Portugal went out and won 4-2 without him.
It is one of the most dramatic moments of Ronaldo’s 23-year international career, and it leaves his future with the Selecao in serious doubt.
What happened in camp
Ronaldo captained Portugal in their opening Nations League win over Wales but spent all of Sunday’s 2-1 victory in Norway on the bench. BBC Sport reported that he headed straight to the dressing room at the final whistle instead of joining teammates in front of the fans. It was the first time since November 2024 that he had not featured for Portugal while fit and available, AFP noted.
Before the Denmark game, Jesus denied any rift. “There was no incident whatsoever,” he said. “Any player, and I was a player myself, when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don’t get on, no one is happy about that.” He said AC Milan striker Goncalo Ramos, who scored the winner in Oslo, would start again. “If I need him, he’ll come on. If I don’t need him, he won’t.”
Shortly afterward, Ronaldo posted on Instagram: “After the press conference of the national team and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team training camp.” He added that he would tell the Portuguese people “the truth about the reasons” in due course, and wished his teammates luck.
The federation confirmed his departure and said preparations would continue with the 24 remaining squad members.
Portugal win without him
On Thursday at Parken Stadium, Portugal looked anything but rattled. Joao Cancelo gave them a 13th-minute lead before Mikkel Damsgaard equalized in the 23rd. Ramos restored the advantage two minutes later, and Rasmus Hojlund made it 2-2 in the 53rd minute, then mimicked Ronaldo’s famous celebration, ESPN and beIN Sports reported.
Vitinha then headed in from a Bruno Fernandes delivery in the 67th minute, his first senior goal for Portugal, and substitute Joao Felix sealed it three minutes from time. The result made it three wins from three in Group A4.
“This Portugal team scored four goals and put in a performance which, in my opinion, was of a very high standard,” Jesus said afterward. “Of course, this is more important than anything else that has happened.” Asked again about Ronaldo, he added: “There are players with status. That much is crystal clear. But I’ll say it again: the rules are the same for everyone.”
Reaction and reports
The walkout drew a furious response from Ronaldo’s sister, Elma Aveiro, who wrote on Instagram that the Portuguese did not “deserve to have the best of anything,” AFP reported. Spanish sports daily Marca reported that Jesus and federation president Pedro Proenca followed Ronaldo to Copenhagen airport to try to persuade him to stay. AFP also cited reports that Prime Minister Luis Montenegro discussed the situation with the coach. Neither report has been confirmed by the federation.
Jesus has said he will explain his side after Sunday’s game. “I know that I did nothing that should have caused things to go differently,” he said, according to beIN Sports, adding that “nobody can take away what Cristiano represents.”
Is this the end for Ronaldo and Portugal?
Ronaldo has not announced his retirement from international football. But the signs point to a turning point. He has said he considered stepping away after this summer’s World Cup, where Portugal went out to eventual winners Spain in the last 16, and he recently called this “probably” his last year in football. He is still chasing 1,000 career goals, the BBC noted.
His record speaks for itself: 146 goals in 234 appearances, a Euro 2016 title as captain and five Ballon d’Or awards. Jesus, 72, coached him at Al-Nassr for a year before taking the Portugal job in July.
Elsewhere in League A, world champions Spain won 3-2 at Wembley in their own Nations League clash with England.
What happens next
Portugal host Norway in Porto on Sunday, Oct. 4, looking to stay perfect in the group. The bigger moment may come off the pitch, when Jesus and Ronaldo each deliver the explanations they have promised.
