Ronaldo leaves Portugal training on eve of Denmark match

Cristiano Ronaldo left Copenhagen stadium on Wednesday, on the eve of the UEFA Nations League match against Denmark (20:45), without taking part in the Portuguese national team’s collective training session. According to daily newspaper A Bola, the captain departed in a federation van as his teammates were about to begin their session. RTP reported that his private plane, coming from Madrid, was then set to take off towards Copenhagen. No official reason was communicated.

This episode is part of a tense sequence for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Substituted in the match against Wales (1-0), then left on the bench in Norway (2-1), Ronaldo had also not joined his teammates on the pitch in Oslo to celebrate the victory on Sunday. The day before, in Malmö, he had already done individual work away from the group.

Manager Jorge Jesus had attempted to defuse the situation in a press conference, assuring that there was no tension between him and his captain. “Afterwards, as a coach, I decided he wouldn’t play. There’s nothing to make an incident out of,” he said, clarifying that Tuesday’s absence was part of a program of physical “mobilization” and “strengthening” decided in consultation with the staff.

On Wednesday, Ronaldo was nonetheless expected for a normal session, even though he was not supposed to start against Denmark. His early departure therefore contradicts Jesus’s reassuring comments and reignites questions about the future of his international career. L’Équipe mentions a possible imminent end to his adventure with the Seleção. At 39 years old, Ronaldo remains the best goalscorer in international competition history, but his place in the Portuguese setup is increasingly being questioned.