Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp in Copenhagen as retirement reports emerge

Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal’s national team camp in Copenhagen this week, flew to Madrid on his private plane and did not take part in training ahead of the match against Denmark. His departure came minutes after head coach Jorge Jesus publicly rejected any conflict with the captain and said Ronaldo would attend Wednesday’s session.

Jesus had told reporters that a meeting with Ronaldo was held on Tuesday evening and that matters had been resolved before the end of the day, while also stressing that his technical decisions would not be influenced by a player’s name or position. Minutes after those comments, Ronaldo left Parken Stadium in a black car belonging to the Portuguese Football Federation and did not participate in practice.

Ronaldo subsequently travelled to Madrid on his private plane, and O Jogo reported that he had already left the hotel where the Portugal squad was staying in Copenhagen. The forward posted a message in Portuguese on social media: "Após a conferência de imprensa do Selecionador Nacional, e no seguimento de uma conversa com o Presidente da Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, tomei a decisão de deixar o estágio da Seleção Nacional.A seu tempo, direi a verdade a todos os Portugueses sobre as razões que… pic.twitter.com/j8Qrws9KTS"

Portuguese daily O Jogo published a report claiming Ronaldo has decided to retire from the national team, stating: "Cristiano Ronaldo has made an irreversible decision: he will no longer represent Portugal. The match against Wales was his last for the national team. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has already left the hotel where the Portugal national team is staying in Copenhagen, Denmark, has made his decision."

Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor the Portuguese Football Federation has issued an official announcement confirming a decision to retire from international football. For now, public discussion about the end of his Portugal career remains a possibility rather than a confirmed choice.

The exit intensified concern because Ronaldo is 41 and recent tensions cited in coverage included disagreements over his role against Norway, his absence from training and a high-level meeting involving the federation president and the coach. The timing of the walkout, a few hours after Jesus’s remarks that matters were resolved, has heightened uncertainty about the captain’s next steps.

O Jogo’s claim that the Wales match was Ronaldo’s final appearance, combined with the lack of an official statement from the player or the federation, leaves the situation unresolved ahead of Portugal’s match against Denmark.