Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp in Copenhagen after coach benches him for Denmark match

Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal’s national-team camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday, the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed, hours after coach Jorge Jesus said the captain would not play in Thursday’s Nations League match against Denmark.

The federation said preparations for the Denmark and Norway matches in UEFA Nations League League A, Group A4 would continue with the remaining 24 players. Ronaldo later said on his official social channels that he had decided to leave the camp and would explain his reasons later. In the statement cited by Portuguese media, he wrote: “A seu tempo, direi a verdade a todos os portugueses sobre as razões que motivaram a minha saída da equipa nacional... ”

The departure followed a public decision from Jesus on the eve of the game at Parken Stadium. At his pre-match news conference Wednesday, the Portugal coach said Ronaldo would not play against Denmark as part of a workload-management plan and that the forward had already been told he would start on the bench and be used only if needed.

Jesus, who took over Portugal in July, framed the call as a coaching decision and a continuation of an approach he had previously used with Ronaldo at Saudi club Al-Nassr. “Sou o treinador e disse ao jogador que ele não iria jogar,” Jesus said.

Ronaldo did not take part in Portugal’s training session later Wednesday after leaving the stadium area following the news conference.

The timing made the episode especially notable because Portugal entered the matchday top of Group A4 with six points from two games. Denmark and Norway had three points each, while Wales had none. Portugal are also the defending Nations League champions after winning the 2025 edition.

Ronaldo, 41, started Portugal’s previous Nations League game, a 1-0 win over Wales in Lisbon on Sept. 24, which was Jesus’s first match in charge. He then did not play in Portugal’s 2-1 win away to Norway on Sept. 27, despite warming up as an unused substitute.

His absence is significant beyond a normal selection issue. Ronaldo is Portugal’s captain and all-time leading scorer, with 146 international goals, and has been the central figure of the national team for nearly two decades. For Jesus, meanwhile, the incident amounts to an early test of authority in one of international soccer’s highest-profile jobs.

The federation did not announce any disciplinary action Wednesday. But its disciplinary code says a player who unjustifiably abandons a national-team training session, match or other activity can face a suspension. Article 160 states: “O jogador que, regularmente convocado, abandone ou não compareça injustificadamente a treino, jogo ou atividade das seleções nacionais ... é sancionado com suspensão de 1 a 6 meses ...”

No formal proceedings had been confirmed as of Wednesday night, but the rules allow for a suspension of one to six months if a departure is judged unjustified.