Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp before Denmark game and promises to explain why

Pinned summary · as of 07:13

Cristiano Ronaldo has walked out of Portugal's camp in Denmark ahead of Thursday's Nations League match in Copenhagen. In a statement, the 41-year-old said he made the decision after coach Jorge Jesus's press conference and a talk with the federation's president, and that he will give Portuguese fans the full reasons in time.

What we know

• Ronaldo left Portugal's training base at Parken ahead of the Nations League tie against Denmark. In a statement he said he took the step once Jesus had spoken to the media and he had talked with the head of the Portuguese Football Federation.
• Ronaldo promised to tell the Portuguese public the truth about what led him to quit the camp when the time is right, and he wished Portugal and his teammates good luck.
• Jesus has denied any rift with Ronaldo and insisted the forward did not refuse to train. He said he alone picks the team.
• Ronaldo sat out the 2-1 victory over Norway, and Jesus said Gonçalo Ramos would again be preferred to him against Denmark. Jesus left open using the veteran as a substitute.
• Jesus told reporters that nobody would change his mind about selection, and that he is the one who sets the agenda.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  MyJoyOnline reported that the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed Ronaldo's exit and said the remaining 24 players would carry on preparing for the Denmark and Norway fixtures as planned. The statement has not been carried in the other reports.
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  Reports differ on where Ronaldo went next. YEN.com.gh, citing Marca, and MyJoyOnline said he was due to fly his private plane to Madrid, while Pulse Ghana cited unnamed reports that the aircraft was heading to Copenhagen.
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  Pulse Ghana said Jesus discussed with Ronaldo the idea of him playing around 30 minutes, perhaps more, against Denmark. No other report carried this account.
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  YEN.com.gh named Pedro Proença as the federation president Ronaldo spoke to, and said neither Ronaldo nor the coaching staff had publicly explained the exit. Other reports gave no name.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that Ronaldo said he had weighed up quitting national-team football once the summer World Cup ended, but stayed on while he chases his 1,000th career goal. This comes from one report only.
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  MyJoyOnline said Jesus told Ronaldo before the Norway game that he would start on the bench and might come on, and that Jesus then chose not to use him. It also reported that Ronaldo went straight to the changing rooms afterwards, prompting talk that he was unhappy with the coach. No other report confirmed these details.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ronaldo is Portugal's captain and a global figure who draws fans across Ghana, where Black Stars supporters follow European football closely. His public promise to speak out means the story is likely to continue, and fans will want to hear his full account. For Portugal, the departure comes between two matches in the current international window.