Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence after leaving Portugal's camp

Dubai: Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence after leaving Portugal’s training camp amid growing speculation over tension with head coach Jorge Jesus.

“After the press conference of the national team, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team internship,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram in a post.

The 41-year-old added, “In time, I will tell all the Portuguese the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave the national team, to which I always devoted myself.”

Ronaldo’s decision comes days after he was left on the bench for Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway. Jesus had said he planned to bring Ronaldo on during the final 30 minutes but ultimately kept him on the bench. Ronaldo then went straight to the dressing room after the final whistle.

Ronaldo is referring to Mendes’ recent press conference where the coach confirmed he will not play the forward for Portugal’s next two games against Denmark and Norway.

The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed Ronaldo missed training, while Jesus has denied that there was a rift between them. Many fans are even following the forward’s private jet that has departed from Copenhagen.

Ronaldo currently has 979 career goals and needs 21 more to reach the landmark 1,000. He recently said he wants to achieve the milestone while continuing to represent Portugal.

There has also been speculation that the 41-year-old could retire from international football. However, Ronaldo had only recently confirmed that he intended to continue playing for Portugal after considering his future following the 2026 World Cup.

For now, his departure leaves questions over his international future with Portugal. As Ronaldo has stated to share more in the coming days, fans will be eagerly waiting for more details.