Cristiano Ronaldo‘s shock exit from the Portugal camp sent speculation into overdrive. Will he return for the remaining matches in the Nations League campaign? Has he already played his last game for Portugal? But more than that, questions have centred on what really unravelled inside the Portuguese camp to trigger Ronaldo’s surprise decision, especially after the star footballer said he would reveal it all “in due time.”
According to a report by Portuguese media outlet A Bola, the situation began after the match against Norway. Ronaldo was benched for the entire game. He was initially told that he would not get any minutes, before coach Jorge Jesus informed him that he would be brought on in the second half for approximately 30 minutes. That was why Ronaldo was seen warming up on the sidelines.
The report said Ronaldo and Jesus met on Tuesday at the Portugal team hotel in Malmo, Sweden, to address the situation that had arisen after the Norway game. Ronaldo had been visibly frustrated during the match and was seen leaving the ground after the final whistle without joining his teammates on the field.
The conversation between Ronaldo and Jesus, according to A Bola, ended on a positive note. However, Ronaldo did not return to training with the rest of the squad after the Norway game.
The report also revealed that the situation surrounding Ronaldo had caused unrest within the Portugal camp. Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, was scheduled to travel to the Azores to watch the U-21 team in action against Gibraltar, but instead remained in Copenhagen to help resolve the situation.
But it never happened.
On Wednesday, Ronaldo departed the Portuguese camp, with no confirmation yet over whether he will return or what his decision means for his international future.
Earlier, a separate Portuguese media outlet had reported that Ronaldo had already played his last game for Portugal — against Wales in the Group D opener of the Nations League — and claimed that his decision was “irreversible.”
However, Ronaldo himself has not announced his international retirement.