Ronaldo's Future with the National Team in Doubt

The future of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo with his national team remains shrouded in mystery after the 41-year-old player left the squad camp following coach Jorge Jesus’s announcement that he would not start in Thursday’s match against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.

Ronaldo announced late on Wednesday that he had departed the national team, shortly after a press conference in which Jesus confirmed that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would not be in the starting lineup for the second consecutive match.

The former Real Madrid striker was scheduled to train with his teammates at Parken Stadium on the eve of the Nations League clash against Denmark, but he left after Jesus’s announcement.

Ronaldo had remained on the bench throughout Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on Sunday in the Nations League, after having worn the captain’s armband in Thursday’s 1-0 home win over Wales.

It is customary for national team coaches to rotate their players in such matches, which carry less significance than the World Cup or the European Championship.

However, Ronaldo appeared to suggest that the reasons behind Jesus’s decision ran deeper.

In remarks that hinted at the possibility of his final retirement from international football, he said, “At the appropriate time, I will reveal to the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team, to which I have always dedicated myself.”

He added, “Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates, without exception, every success in the future.”

The Spanish sports newspaper Marca reported that Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença followed Ronaldo to Copenhagen Airport in an attempt to persuade him to remain with the national team, before the player boarded his private flight.