Cristiano Ronaldo Quits Portugal's Camp in Copenhagen on the Eve of the Denmark Match, and May Have Played His Last Game for His Country

Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal's training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday evening, the day before the national team plays Denmark in the Nations League, and flew to Madrid on his private jet. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) confirmed his departure in a short statement. Neither the player nor the federation has said whether he will play for Portugal again, but the way he left has led much of the Portuguese and international sports press to treat it as the end of his international career.

How the day unfolded

The trouble began after Portugal's win over Norway in Oslo, in which the captain did not play. On Wednesday afternoon, at a press conference at the Parken stadium, head coach Jorge Jesus said he had agreed a plan with Ronaldo in advance: he would sit out the Norway match and the Denmark match, as Bruno Fernandes had also been rested. "I have had cases with many players," Jesus said, according to Observador, "but do not try to make this into a case that does not exist." He limited himself to two questions about the player.

Asked whether Ronaldo had refused to train the day before, Jesus said he had not, and that he would train that afternoon. "No player in any national team refuses to train, unless he wants to leave or has other ideas," he added.

Minutes later, Ronaldo did not go out onto the pitch with the rest of the squad. Observador reported that he left the stadium in a black van bearing the FPF crest, while Jesus spent the open part of the session on his phone and in conversation with federation officials.

What Ronaldo and the federation said

Ronaldo then posted a statement on social media. "After the head coach's press conference, and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I took the decision to leave the national team's camp," he wrote. "In due course I will tell the truth to all Portuguese people about the reasons that led to my departure from the national team, to which I always dedicated myself. Now it is time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception."

The FPF's statement was brief. It said Ronaldo had left the camp in Copenhagen and that preparation for the matches against Denmark and Norway, the second of which will be played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, "will continue as planned, with the remaining 24 players called up".

Federation president Pedro Proença, who had flown to Scandinavia early to smooth over the tension between player and coach, tried until late in the evening to persuade Ronaldo to stay, according to Observador. He did not succeed. Shortly after 22:00 the plane left for Madrid, where it was due to land at about 00:45 Lisbon time.

Abroad, a "psychodrama"

The departure made headlines across Europe. Spanish sports dailies gave it the most space, and France's L'Équipe wrote that "the psychodrama between Ronaldo and Portugal continues" and that the end of his international career "looks imminent". Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport summed it up in a single word: "Incredible".

What happens next

Portugal play Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday, the third round of League A of the Nations League, and then host Norway in Porto. Ronaldo, the national team's record goalscorer and most capped player, has promised to explain himself "in due course". Until he does, or the federation says more, it is not clear whether this is the end of one training camp or of more than two decades with the national team.