Cristiano Ronaldo has sensationally he left the Portugal camp after reports of a rift with coach Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo’s international future is now in serious doubt, with the 41-year-old indicating a statement who will reveal more about the circumstances of his departure in due course.
But how did the situation get to a point where Portugal’s captain, most legendary player, record goalscorer and appearance record has left in such controversial circumstances?
Here’s the timeline of how the downfall of CR7’s Portugal unfolded.
Ronaldo and Portugal: how the crisis unfolded
Ronaldo’s future in Portugal seemed settled just a week ago.
The 41-year-old had publicly revealed he had considered retiring from international football after the 2026 World Cup, but said a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca and new head coach Jorge Jesus had convinced him to continue.
Seven days later, Ronaldo has left Portugal’s training camp after a dramatic breakdown in relations with Jesus.
July 7: Ronaldo leaves the World Cup without committing to Portugal
Portugal were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after losing 1-0 to eventual champions Spain. After the match, Roberto Martínez announced his departure as Portugal coach.
Ronaldo was asked about his own international future but refused to make an immediate decision.
“Now is not the time to make that decision,” he said. However, he confirmed that the 2026 tournament would be his last World Cup.
July 10 — Jorge Jesús takes over
Jorge Jesús was named Portugal coach three days later. The former Al Nassr coach already knew Ronaldo well, having coached him in Saudi Arabia.
Jesus immediately made it clear that Ronaldo would not get special treatment. “Cris will never be a problem, neither for the Seleção nor for me,” said Jesus.
“I had the pleasure of working with him for a year. When I thought he should play, he played. When I thought he shouldn’t play, he didn’t. I’ll do what I think is best for the Seleção.”
September 18 — Ronaldo is selected
Jesus announced his first Portugal squad for the Nations League and Ronaldo was included, with his international career looking set to continue under former Al-Nassr boss Jesus.
September 23: Ronaldo confirms he is staying
Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit in Oeiras, Ronaldo admitted that he had considered leaving the national team immediately after the World Cup.
But he revealed that the conversations with Proenca and Jesus changed his mind.
“Yes, I thought about (quitting the national team after the World Cup). I’m always thinking about my decisions, about my future, about my present. I’m a thinker. I have to think about everything,” Ronaldo said.
Then came the clearest confirmation of his intentions. “That’s why you see me here now. It means I’m going to continue.”
Ronaldo explained why he had chosen to stay.
“I had a conversation with our president and our coach. They count on me. I still believe I can help the national team achieve what they want.”
He also spoke highly of Jesus, describing him as “the perfect choice” for Portugal.
September 24 – Ronaldo starts against Wales
Ronaldo kicked off Portugal’s Nations League campaign against Wales in Lisbon but endured a frustrating evening, missing two big chances as Al-Nassr team-mate Joao Felix scored the winner.
The appearance came just a day after his public confirmation that he intended to continue playing for the national team.
September 27: Ronaldo remains on the bench against Norway
Three days later, the situation changed radically. Portugal traveled to Oslo to face Norway as Jesus selected João Félix and Gonçalo Ramos in attack, leaving Ronaldo on the bench.
Ronaldo warmed up in the second half, but the substitution never came. He remained an unused substitute as Portugal won 2–1, with Ramos scoring the winning goal.
September 27 – Ronaldo goes straight to the dressing room
The situation drew more attention after the final whistle.
As the Portuguese players acknowledged the roving supporters, Ronaldo made his way to the dressing room.
September 28-29: Ronaldo trains away from the group
Ronaldo did not take part in Portugal’s regular group training sessions in the following days.
The FPF maintained that he had no physical problems and was working out individually at the gym.
September 29: Portugal’s boss changes his plans
The situation had become serious enough for the president of the FPF, Pedro Proença, to change his plans and travel to Copenhagen.
Proença was due to meet with Ronaldo and Jesus as Portugal prepared for their next Nations League game.
The development was particularly significant given Ronaldo’s comments just six days earlier, when he had said both Proença and Jesus were counting on him.
September 30: Jesus insists there is no problem
With Portugal preparing to face Denmark, Jesus tried to calm the situation. “He didn’t refuse. He’s going to train today,” Jesus said.
“It’s the fourth day, so he’s going to train. And he didn’t refuse to train. It’s impossible. Do you believe it? No Cris.”
Jesus also said that he had been forced to talk to Ronaldo about an issue that he said did not exist.
“They forced me to talk to Cris about a topic that didn’t exist. There was nothing to talk about.”
According to Jesus, Ronaldo had told him: “I’m here for you to decide. If you want me to play, I’ll play. If you want me to go to the stands, I’ll go.”
September 30: Ronaldo leaves the Portugal field
Then the situation escalated dramatically. After Jesus’ press conference and a conversation with Proenca, Ronaldo decided to leave Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen.
Ronaldo said he would explain his reasons later.
“In due time, I will tell all the Portuguese the truth about the reasons for my departure from the national team, to which I have always been fully committed.”
The FPF later confirmed that Ronaldo had left the field.