Ronaldo arrived in Madrid early on Thursday, October 1, 2026, after leaving Portugal, before continuing his journey to Saudi Arabia, where he plays for Al Nassr.
The decision followed discussions with officials from the Portuguese Football Federation and coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo said he would later explain in detail the reasons behind his departure from the national team camp.
While Ronaldo has yet to publicly disclose why he left the squad, Portugal announced an updated list of players for its UEFA Nations League match against Denmark, scheduled for Thursday evening.
In the squad numbers submitted to UEFA, Portugal reassigned Ronaldo’s number seven shirt to Rafael Leão, who previously wore number 17.
Leão, who plays for Galatasaray, is expected to wear his new number for the first time with Portugal’s national team, known as the Seleção das Quinas, on Thursday evening. Bruno Fernandes, the team’s vice-captain, is expected to wear the captain’s armband in Ronaldo’s absence.
At a pre-match press conference, Jorge Jesus was asked about his reported disagreement with Ronaldo. He said that decisions about who plays for the national team ultimately rest with him as head coach.
“I want to assure you that I am the coach, right? I was the one who told him, ‘You are not going to play. I am putting you on the bench. If I need you for 30 minutes, I will bring you on. If I don’t need you, you won’t play,’” Jesus said.
“Cristiano does not decide whether he plays or not, and no other player can change my mind as a coach. That will not happen, do you understand? Neither him nor anyone else in football, not even the president, can do that,” he added.
At 41, Ronaldo remains one of Portugal’s most prominent and longest-serving international players. He has continued to play a major role in international football and has served as captain of the national team.
Ronaldo has made 234 appearances for Portugal, scoring 146 goals and providing 45 assists. He helped the country win the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
