Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to leave Portugal’s training camp has taken the growing dispute with coach Jorge Jesus into extraordinary territory, with FPF president Pedro Proenca also becoming directly involved in the drama. What began with a controversial selection decision against Norway has now developed into a frantic attempt to determine whether the captain can still be convinced to remain with the national team.
Ronaldo announced his departure on September 30, 2026, shortly after Jesus addressed the situation in his pre-match press conference ahead of Denmark. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made clear that he intends to explain his reasons eventually, but for now he has walked away from a squad sitting top of its Nations League group.
Tension began after the Selecao’s 2-1 win over Norway, when Ronaldo remained on the bench despite warming up for a lengthy period. Jesus had previously indicated the captain could feature, but ultimately decided not to bring him in, leaving Ronaldo visibly frustrated after the final whistle.
The experienced manager insisted that the situation had been exaggerated and denied any serious disagreement with his captain. He explained that Ronaldo had been unhappy about warming up without playing, but argued that such frustration was understandable rather than evidence of a deeper conflict. “There was no incident whatsoever,” he said.
“Any player – and I was a player myself – when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don’t get on, no-one is happy about that.” The coach also insisted that Ronaldo had not refused to train, explaining that his individual work had been related to mobility and strengthening. Jesus expected the forward to return to normal team training before the Denmark match.
Ronaldo announces his departure
The situation escalated shortly afterward when Ronaldo did not join his teammates for the scheduled training session in Copenhagen. Portuguese media reported that he left Parken Stadium in a federation vehicle, before the Portugal captain announced on social meida that he had decided to leave the camp.
“After the press conference of the national team and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team training camp,” Ronaldo wrote.
He then promised to reveal more about the circumstances behind his decision while making clear that he still wished Portugal and his teammates well. “In time, I will tell all the Portuguese the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave,” the 41-year-old added.
Jesus and Proenca make one final desperate attempt
The departure did not immediately end the efforts to keep Ronaldo with the squad. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Jorge Jesus and FPF president Pedro Proenca followed Ronaldo to the airport in Copenhagen in an attempt to persuade him to remain in Denmark with the rest of the national team.
Head coach Jorge Jesus interacts with Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr. (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Their reported intervention shows how seriously the situation had escalated behind the scenes. Despite the effort, the veteran forward reportedly refused to stay, boarded his flight and left Copenhagen, with the episode now raising much bigger questions about his relationship with the national team.
The FPF subsequently confirmed Ronaldo’s departure and said the remaining 24 players would continue preparations for the upcoming fixtures. “The entire delegation remains totally focused on the national team’s next fixtures and on achieving the established objectives,” the federation said.
