Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal camp amid reported rift with Jorge Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s Nations League training camp, announcing his decision on Instagram on Wednesday and promising to tell “the truth” behind the move “in due course”.

The 41-year-old wrote that he made the decision “following the national team manager’s press conference, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation”, Pedro Proença, adding that he wished “good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception”. The announcement came hours after head coach Jorge Jesus told his Wednesday press conference that there had been “no incident whatsoever” and said Ronaldo would return to training.

The row stems from Sunday’s 2-1 Nations League win away to Norway, when Ronaldo was left on the bench as an unused substitute — the first time in 18 years he failed to play a single minute for his country despite being in the squad. Gonçalo Ramos, who replaced him in the side, is set to start up front against Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday.

Jesus, who managed Ronaldo at Al Nassr last season, told reporters on Wednesday that every player knew “the coach makes the decisions” and that “the rules are the same for everyone”.

Sunday’s appearance was Ronaldo’s 234th cap. His departure raises serious doubts over whether he will add to that tally in the future.