Ronaldo boycotts Portugal training, emergency crisis meeting called

Cristiano Ronaldo refused to train with the Portuguese national team on Tuesday in Malmö, the day after being benched in the match against Norway (2-1) that sparked a crisis within the Seleção. Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença cancelled his travel plans to urgently join Denmark and organize an emergency meeting with the player and head coach Jorge Jesus.

The incident stems from the victory against Norway. For the first time in nearly two decades in official competition, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner spent all 90 minutes on the bench. CR7 made no effort to hide his frustration: with a closed expression in front of the cameras, he sulked and avoided post-match celebrations with his teammates. The situation worsened when Jorge Jesus publicly acknowledged having promised Ronaldo he would come on during the match before changing his mind during the game.

On Tuesday in Malmö, where Portugal was preparing for its Nations League trip to Denmark, the Al-Nassr forward was spotted briefly at the stadium, coffee in hand. After a brief exchange with his coach on the pitch, he left the grounds to return to his hotel without participating in the collective training session. The FPF cited “specific work” made necessary by a lack of suitable equipment at the stadium, an explanation that hardly convinced observers.

The scale of the crisis is measured by Proença’s reaction, who gave up attending the Portuguese U-21 match in the Azores — crucial for Euro qualification — to travel directly to Denmark.

This turbulence comes as Portugal sits atop its Nations League group. It nonetheless raises a fundamental question: at 41 years old, Ronaldo, who swore a week earlier to be “at the service of the collective” and ready to accept any role, is he capable of accepting a substitute status? The summit meeting in Malmö could well decide the future of his international career.