Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp after Jorge Jesus selection dispute

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen and travelled to Madrid on his private plane, deepening uncertainty over his future with the national team ahead of their match against Denmark.

The 41-year-old captain departed Parken Stadium in a black car belonging to the Portuguese Football Federation without taking part in Wednesday’s training session.

His departure came only minutes after Portugal manager Jorge Jesus had denied any dispute with Ronaldo and said the forward would train that day.

“Yesterday, he did not refuse to train. Francisco Conceicao did not train because of an injury, and Joao Felix did not train because we tried to reduce his fatigue, while Cristiano Ronaldo worked in the gym. He will train today. It is the fourth day, so he will train,” Jesus told reporters.

The Portuguese Football Federation later confirmed Ronaldo had not trained but gave no reason for his absence.

“Information about training at Parken: Joao Felix returned to training with the team. Francisco Conceicao, who is unavailable for tomorrow’s match, and Cristiano Ronaldo did not train. Thank you,” the federation said in a brief statement.

The lack of an official explanation has added to the uncertainty, particularly because Jesus had said shortly beforehand that Ronaldo would join the session.

Ronaldo’s role questioned after Norway match

Jesus had met Ronaldo on Tuesday evening and said the situation had been resolved before the end of the day. However, he also made clear that the player’s reputation would not influence his decisions.

“I can promise whatever I want. I am the coach. I told the player he would not start the match and would be on the bench. If I need him for 30 minutes, he will play; if I do not need him, he will not play. No player will make me change my mind. Not him or anyone else in football, not even a president. Never, no-one,” Jesus said.

The disagreement followed Portugal’s Nations League match against Norway, when Jesus selected Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos in attack and left Ronaldo on the substitutes’ bench.

The decision proved successful as Felix and Ramos scored in a 2-1 victory for Portugal. Ronaldo did not come on, although he made a brief appearance during the second-half warm-up.

After the final whistle, Ronaldo went straight to the dressing room and did not join the other substitutes for training the following day. Jesus later played down the incident, describing it as a normal part of managing players’ workloads.

FA president joins discussions

Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca changed his schedule and travelled to Copenhagen for a meeting with Ronaldo and Jesus.

The meeting took place on Wednesday morning amid tensions following the Norway game. Jesus later said his discussion with Ronaldo had ended normally and that there was no problem between them.

Ronaldo’s departure from the camp a few hours after those comments has, however, brought the issue back into focus.

There has been no official indication from Ronaldo or the federation that he has decided to retire from international football. His exit therefore remains a possibility rather than an announced decision, although the timing, his reduced role against Norway, three days of missed training and the emergency meeting have intensified questions about what comes next for Portugal’s captain.