Ronaldo walks out of Portugal camp after being dropped from the starting line-up
Quick summary
- •Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal's training camp in the middle of a Nations League window. He went shortly after coach Jorge Jesus said the 41-year-old would not start against Denmark. Ronaldo said he would explain his reasons to the Portuguese public and wished his teammates luck. Jesus said there was no dispute between them. The federation only confirmed that he had left. His club, Al-Nassr, is not affected, and their next match is on 9 October.
Cristiano Ronaldo has walked out of Portugal's national-team camp, and it's not clear whether he will play for his country again.
What happened
On Wednesday 30 September coach Jorge Jesus told reporters that Ronaldo would not be in the starting eleven for the Nations League match against Denmark. Shortly afterwards Ronaldo left the camp. Portugal played Denmark without him.
He had also not played in Portugal's previous match, against Norway, even though Jesus had suggested beforehand that he would come off the bench.
What each side says
Ronaldo posted on Instagram that he would tell the Portuguese people the truth about why he left. He wished good luck to the team and to his teammates, and said he was still committed to the national side.
Jesus played the row down. He said it might look like there was a problem between the two of them but there wasn't. He said Ronaldo had not refused to train and had told him he would play if the coach wanted him to. He added that the rules are the same for every player, while admitting that a player of Ronaldo's standing is a special case.
The Portuguese Football Federation said very little. It confirmed Ronaldo had left the squad and said the rest of the players remained focused on the upcoming games.
Why it matters
Ronaldo is 41 and the all-time top scorer in men's international football. He has played at six World Cups. He has already said this Saudi Pro League season with Al-Nassr is likely to be the last of his career. That makes this walk-out look like it could be the end of his time with Portugal, though neither he nor the federation has said so.
His club career carries on for now. Al-Nassr's next match is on 9 October.