Ronaldo, now 41, has spoken publicly about his departure from the Portugal national squad. Over the course of 23 years, the footballer had been tied to the programme, featuring in men's international fixtures that included World Cup appearances.

Relations between the player and head coach Jorge Jesus deteriorated to a point where a mutual departure was agreed upon. In a post shared on Instagram, Ronaldo stated that his departure from the national team's training camp came after talks with the Portuguese Football Federation president and in the wake of remarks made at the head coach's press conference.

He pledged to share with the Portuguese public, at a future point, the reasoning behind his exit from the national squad — a team to which he had given consistent commitment throughout his time with it.

Ronaldo had told reporters earlier in the year that the current season would "probably" mark the end of his professional football career, while also extending well-wishes to Portugal and every one of his national teammates.

Broadcast reports noted that Ronaldo had been absent from Portugal's fixture against Norway and had not rejoined the squad for training in the period that followed. The football federation clarified that Ronaldo alone had departed, with the rest of the squad staying on, and a statement from the body noted that every member of the delegation remained committed to the team's forthcoming matches and to meeting the targets set out for the campaign.

At a press conference, Jorge Jesus addressed team discipline, noting that the coaching staff sets the guidelines and that those guidelines apply equally to all players. He confirmed that Gonçalo Ramos would be in the starting lineup for Thursday's fixture against Denmark, though Jesus added that the outcome of the match remained uncertain. The coach noted that Ronaldo would be called upon whenever the team's needs demanded his involvement.

Jesus told Ronaldo before the match against Norway that a place in the starting lineup looked probable, yet his own assessment of the situation evolved as play unfolded. He later stated that leaving the player on the warm-up track for a prolonged spell before ultimately not using him at all was a mistake he takes responsibility for.

Acknowledging that any player in Ronaldo's position would feel aggrieved, the coach nonetheless offered no apology and made clear that promises made to players carry no binding weight on his decisions. "I'm the coach," Jesus stated. "No player will ever make a decision for me."