Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp and hints at farewell
The 41-year-old forward left after a press conference by manager Jorge Jesus, but did not announce a definitive retirement.
.jpg){kind=link}
Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s training camp in Denmark early. In an Instagram post, he suggested that his departure from the national team may be drawing closer, but did not formally confirm it.
Ronaldo announced his departure on Wednesday, a day before the Nations League match against Denmark. In his statement, he wrote that he had decided to leave the camp after the press conference by manager Jorge Jesus and a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation.
The immediate reason was the uncertainty over his role in the team. According to German and European reports, Jesus had given no guarantee that Ronaldo would start. The manager had previously said that Ronaldo had missed three training sessions. The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed that the forward had left the training camp.
Ronaldo did not link his departure to an explicit resignation or retirement statement. He wrote that he would tell Portuguese supporters the reasons for his departure at a later date. That leaves room for several explanations, but does not make clear whether he will return after this international period.
The timing is notable because Ronaldo still has a central role in the history of the Portuguese team. According to UEFA, he has played 233 internationals and scored 146 goals for Portugal. In 2026, he also became the first player to score at six World Cups.
Portugal began the new Nations League cycle under Jorge Jesus with matches against Wales and Norway. After the match against Denmark, another game against Norway is scheduled for Sunday. Following his departure, it has not been confirmed whether Ronaldo will be called up for either match.
The sporting consequences depend on further communication from the federation and the player. For Portugal, the immediate issue is chiefly a selection problem in attack and concerning the captaincy. For Ronaldo, the central question is whether the departure is a temporary reaction to his role in the team or the beginning of the end of his international career.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
Reports of the departure have been confirmed by multiple independent sports sources. The text does not attribute a definitive farewell to Ronaldo and limits the reason for his departure to what has been stated publicly.
- confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp on 30 September 2026. — This was reported by Sportschau and confirmed by the Portuguese Football Federation, according to EFE. source
- confirmed Ronaldo said he would explain the reasons for his departure at a later date. — Sportschau quotes his public Instagram statement. source
- confirmed Ronaldo has 233 internationals and 146 goals for Portugal. — These statistics appear on UEFA’s pages covering his international records. source
- confirmed A definitive retirement by Ronaldo has not been announced. — The public statement announces his departure from the camp, but not a formal end to his international career. source
Editor's note
Ronaldo’s departure from the training camp and his statement have been confirmed. A definitive departure from the national team has not been announced and remains uncertain.Sources
- Portugal Ronaldo verlässt Teamcamp und deutet Rücktritt an — Sportschau
- La Federación confirma la salida de Cristiano Ronaldo de la concentración — Agencia EFE
- Europe's most-capped men's international players: Cristiano Ronaldo on 233 appearances for Portugal — UEFA
- Cristiano Ronaldo: All-time leading scorer in men's international football — UEFA
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „cristiano ronaldo”
- NU.nl — „cristiano ronaldo”
- De Telegraaf — „cristiano ronaldo”