SHAH ALAM - Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s national team camp and vowed to reveal "the truth" behind his decision, shortly after head coach Jorge Jesus denied there was any rift between them.
The 41-year-old announced his departure on Instagram following a press conference by Jesus ahead of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Denmark on Thursday.
"After the press conference of the national team and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have made the decision to leave the national team training camp.
"In due course, I will tell all the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team, to which I always dedicated myself.
"Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates good luck, without exception," he wrote.
Ronaldo’s decision came after Jesus rejected reports of a dispute between the Portugal captain and the coach following his omission from the team’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway in Oslo on Sunday.
Ronaldo had started Portugal’s opening Nations League match against Wales but was left on the bench against Norway.
He did not join his teammates in acknowledging the visiting supporters after the final whistle and instead headed to the dressing room, prompting reports that he was unhappy with Jesus.
According to reports, Jesus said there had been no incident between them and explained that Ronaldo had been informed before the Norway match that he would not start but could feature later.
"There was no incident whatsoever. Any player and I was a player myself, when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then do not get on, no-one is happy about that.
"Afterwards, as coach, I decided not to bring him on. It is nothing to make a fuss about," he was reported as saying.
Jesus also denied reports that Ronaldo had refused to train after the Norway match.
The coach said Ronaldo had instead completed individual exercises focused on mobility and strengthening and was expected to train normally with the squad.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s match, Jesus said the same rules applied to every player and that Gonçalo Ramos would again be preferred to Ronaldo in the starting line-up if circumstances allowed.
Jesus, who worked with Ronaldo for about a year in Saudi Arabia, again rejected suggestions that there was a dispute between them.
"If I need Ronaldo, he will come on. If I do not need him, he will not. It seems like there was an issue between us, but there was no issue. I am the one who makes the decisions and everybody knows that," he said.
He acknowledged that he had initially told Ronaldo he would probably play against Norway but later changed his decision because of the circumstances of the match.
Jesus said he had made a mistake by allowing Ronaldo to warm up for an extended period without eventually bringing him on, adding that any player would have been unhappy in such circumstances.
However, he defended his authority to make the final decision.
"I can promise whatever I want, I am the coach. No player will ever make a decision for me," he said.
Jesus also said Ronaldo’s stature meant he deserved particular attention from the coaching staff because of his career and achievements.
He said the situation had generated enough discussion in Portugal that he had to meet Ronaldo, while Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença also spoke with both of them.
The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently confirmed Ronaldo’s departure and said preparations for the upcoming fixtures would continue with the remaining 24 players.
"Preparation for the two matches against Denmark and Norway continues as planned with the 24 remaining squad members.
"The entire delegation remains totally focussed on the national team's next fixtures and on achieving the established objectives," the federation said.
Ronaldo remains Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in men’s international football with 146 goals and has continued pursuing the milestone of 1,000 career goals.
Portugal lead Nations League Group A4 with six points from two matches, ahead of Denmark and Norway.
It remains unclear whether Ronaldo’s departure will extend beyond the current international break.
Ronaldo concluded his final FIFA World Cup campaign at the 2026 tournament at the age of 41, when Portugal were eliminated 1-0 by Spain in the Round of 16.
He became the first player to score in six different World Cups and finished the tournament with three goals in five matches.
His World Cup tally stands at 11 goals in 27 appearances.