Ronaldo's Future with Portugal... Uncertain
Copenhagen – AFP – The future of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo with his national team remains shrouded in mystery after the 41-year-old player left the squad’s camp in Copenhagen following coach Jorge Jesus’s announcement that he would not start in the match against Denmark tonight in the UEFA Nations League.
Ronaldo announced earlier on Wednesday that he had departed the national team, 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 match against Denmark, but he left after Jesus’s announcement.
In remarks that hinted at the possibility of his final retirement from international football, Ronaldo said: “At the appropriate time, I will reveal to the Portuguese people the true 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 nothing but success in the future, without exception.”
Ronaldo had remained on the bench throughout Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Norway 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 matches that do not carry the same importance as the World Cup or the European Championship.
However, Ronaldo appeared to suggest that the reasons behind Jesus’s decision ran deeper than that.
Meanwhile, 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 stay with the national team, before the player boarded his private flight.
Jesus had previously insisted that there was no disagreement between him and Ronaldo, although the coach, who took charge in July last year, acknowledged that the captain was disappointed at being left on the bench against Norway.
The news sparked a wave of satirical images on social media and drew an angry reaction from Ronaldo’s sister, Elma Aveiro.
Speaking about the Portuguese public on Instagram, she said: “They do not deserve to have the best in anything.” She added: “There is no reason for all this fuss.”
The Oslo match was the first time since November 2024 that Ronaldo did not play for Portugal without being injured or suspended.
Jesus told reporters after that match, noting that he had coached Ronaldo at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia for a year before taking charge of Portugal: “Nothing happened at all.”
In turn, the Portuguese Football Federation stated after Ronaldo’s departure: “Preparations for the matches against Denmark and Norway are continuing as planned with the 24 players remaining in the national team squad.”
It added: “All members of the delegation remain fully focused on the national team’s upcoming fixtures and on achieving the set objectives.”
The former Juventus and Manchester United star holds the record for most goals and appearances for Portugal, with 146 goals in 234 matches.
