October 1, Kathmandu – Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has left the national team’s training camp ahead of the UEFA Nations League match against Denmark. Ronaldo announced via social media on Wednesday that he had decided to leave the camp. This move came shortly after coach Jorge Jesus announced that Ronaldo would not be in the starting lineup for Thursday’s match in Copenhagen. Ronaldo stated that he made the decision after discussions with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation and promised to reveal the reasons at an appropriate time.
At 41 years old, Ronaldo is the highest-scoring male international footballer, having netted 146 goals for Portugal. He is also pursuing the milestone of scoring 1,000 goals throughout his professional career. Ronaldo did not play in the 2–1 victory against Norway on Sunday and has not participated in any training sessions with the team since then. This situation has sparked speculation about his relationship with coach Jesus, who has denied any issues, emphasizing that the same rules apply to all players and that final decisions rest with the coach.
According to Jorge Jesus, Gonçalo Ramos will start in the match against Denmark, but Ronaldo could be brought onto the field depending on the circumstances of the game. Jesus admitted that not fielding Ronaldo after extended warm-up during the Norway match was a mistake and acknowledged that any player could feel disappointed in such a situation. The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed Ronaldo’s departure from the training camp and stated that the rest of the 24 players will continue preparations as planned.
Portugal currently tops Group A4 of the Nations League with 6 points from two games. Denmark and Norway follow with 3 points each, while Wales remains without points. Portugal is scheduled to play Norway again on Sunday. It remains unclear whether Ronaldo’s decision to leave the camp affects only the international break or will continue thereafter.
