Cristiano Ronaldo officially confirmed on Wednesday that he has departed the Portugal national team’s training camp in Copenhagen. His exit follows a turbulent period surrounding his relationship with head coach Jorge Jesus as the squad prepares for their Nations League fixture against Denmark on Thursday. Portuguese newspaper A Bola posted a video that appeared to show Ronaldo leaving Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium in a FPF vehicle. According to spanish sports media outlet Marca, Ronaldo intended to board a private flight to Madrid in the coming hours. Ronaldo is Portugal’s record goalscorer with 146 goals and their most-capped player with 234 appearances.
Addressing the situation on Instagram, Ronaldo wrote that his decision to leave came after discussions with the Portuguese Football Federation President. He promised fans he would eventually share the truth regarding the reasons behind his departure from the team camp.
The circumstances surrounding his exit remain somewhat unclear, as the national team arrived at their hotel later that day without both the star forward and the coach. Reports from local media, including A Bola, suggested that the 41-year-old left shortly after Jesus had publicly stated that the player would participate in the scheduled training session.
Prior to his departure, Ronaldo had not featured in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Norway. Coach Jesus had informed the veteran player that he would come off the bench, yet ultimately chose not to include him in the match. Following that game, Ronaldo worked in the gym on Monday and Tuesday rather than joining the team, despite medical reports confirming he was not injured.
In a press conference held before Wednesday’s session, Jorge Jesus urged journalists to avoid manufacturing controversy, insisting it was routine for players to skip full team training shortly after a match. He explicitly stated that Ronaldo had not refused to participate in drills.
The coach remarked, “He didn’t refuse. He’s going to train today,” while dismissing the existence of any genuine incident or rift. Jesus noted that he had spoken with Ronaldo, who reportedly told him, “I’m here for you to decide. If you want me to play, I’ll play. If you want me to go to the stands, I’ll go.” “They forced me to talk to Cris about an issue that didn’t exist.
