Instead of bringing his Portugal career to a dignified end immediately after the World Cup, as he had announced he would, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to return to the national team, apparently unwilling to draw the curtain on his international career just yet. Jorge Jesus recalled him to the squad for the Nations League matches. Ronaldo played against Wales in the first game, only to remain on the bench in the next one and sit out an entire match for the first time in 6,678 days. That clearly dealt a serious blow to his ego, as he refused to train, forcing the president of the Portuguese Football Federation to step in and resolve the situation.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 This was the moment Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portugal training camp.<br><br>If this truly is the end of his international career, what a shame it has ended this way.<br><br>(🎥 <a href="https://x.com/Record_Portugal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Record_Portugal</a>) <a href="https://t.co/AmS6IId4mM">pic.twitter.com/AmS6IId4mM</a> <a href="https://t.co/suag7ARpBU">https://t.co/suag7ARpBU</a></p>— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) <a href="https://x.com/DeadlineDayLive/status/2105359938629648415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##Jorge Jesus also tried to calm things down at his press conference, so that the focus would not be entirely on Ronaldo, but immediately after the coach's statement, Cristiano left the team! The Flight Radar website picked up a private airplane which left for Copenhagen to Madrid. It was Ronaldo’s private jet and he soon confirmed his exit."Following the press conference of the National Team Coach, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I made the decision to leave the National Team training camp. In due time, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led to my departure from the national team, to which I have always been dedicated. Now is the time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception" he wrote on his account.##LINKED_NEWS_69472##What is worse, all this happened just minutes after the press conference in which Jesus persuaded the journalists that nothing happened and that everything is normal. But, he also revealed that he informed the player that he won’t start against Denmark again and that nobody can influence him about the team.“Yesterday, he did not refuse to train. Francisco Conceiçao did not train because of an injury, and neither did Felix, because we were trying to reduce fatigue, while Cristiano Ronaldo worked out in the gym. He will train today. This is his fourth day, so he will train. If I need you for 30 minutes, you will play. If I don't, you won't. No player will change my mind. Neither him nor anyone else in football. Not even the president. Absolutely nobody, ever” said Jesus at the conference. Minutes later, Ronaldo went to the airport, instead of the training ground.21:45: (2.20) Tamworth (3.50) Sutton United (2.95)
2