Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure

Yesterday (1 October 2026), Portugal beat Denmark 4–2 in the UEFA Nations League. The result confirmed a dream start for the national team’s new manager, Jorge Jesus, who was appointed in July and has won his first three matches in charge.

But the talk that reverberated around the world before, during and after the match had little to do with the football played on the pitch.

The start of the crisis

Days before the match, Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the ‘Ballon d'Or’ and a national team legend aged 41, left the training camp and returned home following a disagreement with Jesus.

The manager instructed CR7 to warm up for 30 minutes during the match against Norway on Sunday (27/09/2026), but kept him on the bench for the full 90 minutes. After Jesus made no comment on the matter at the post-match press conference, Ronaldo reportedly felt disrespected and decided to leave the national team, for whom he is the all-time leading goalscorer with 146 goals, and with whom he won his first major international title, Euro 2016.

Since his departure, Ronaldo has posted on social media that he will reveal his reasons when the time is right, whilst wishing all his national team-mates good luck.

In recent days, these same teammates have been besieged by the press with questions about Ronaldo, whilst journalists have been trying to gain a better understanding of what happened between the veteran player and the manager. The pair had previously exchanged compliments on several occasions and had also enjoyed success together at Al-Nassr in the Saudi league.

They all avoided answering the questions directly, whilst reaffirming their focus on the matches ahead, their admiration for Jesus’s work and their respect for Ronaldo’s career.

Jorge Jesus’s stance

Jesus, too, as was to be expected, has faced a barrage of questions about the situation over the last few days.

“The rules are the same for everyone. I’ve always thought that way throughout my career and I’ll continue to do so.” – Jorge Jesus

Following the victory over Denmark, he reiterated his previous stance – as manager, he has the final say: “I still think the same way. There are players who can be replaced. To me, that’s as clear as day. I’ll say it again: the rules are the same for everyone. I’ve always thought that way throughout my career and I’ll continue to do so.” (ESPN)

A response like this is far from satisfying many Portuguese fans, who have relied on CR7 for so many years.

As Jesus walked from the hotel in Denmark to the national team’s coach, several Portuguese fans were heard booing their own manager. At Parken Stadium, where the match was played, the booing continued after Jesus had finished his press commitments.

“I didn’t hear any boos from the Portuguese fans; I didn’t hear anything like that.” – Jorge Jesus

The manager denied having heard anything: “I didn’t hear any boos from the Portuguese fans; I didn’t hear any of that. But the important thing, even in a victory, is to respect the fans. I’ve been an immigrant manager for the last seven years of my career and, in fact, when you’re abroad, you feel more Portuguese; that feeling is even stronger. That’s why I have a great deal of respect for that sentiment.” (ESPN)

Reactions from the world of football

One protest he couldn’t ignore, however, took place during the match.

Napoli striker Rasmus Højlund scored Denmark’s second goal that afternoon and then performed the “SIU” celebration, Ronaldo’s trademark. But the 23-year-old’s most telling gesture came after the match: whilst players and coaching staff were greeting one another, he gave Jorge Jesus a gentle nudge, to which Jesus smiled in response.

Ronaldo and Højlund have also both played for Manchester United, although the two never played together at the club. Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended eight months before Højlund’s arrival.

“It’s got nothing to do with disrespect. Cristiano is my great idol.” – Rasmus Højlund

Even so, the Danish striker, who was nominated for the Young Male Talent of the Season award at the 2023Ballon d'Or, has repeatedly cited CR7 as one of his greatest inspirations. After the match, he told TV 2: “It’s simply a tribute to a man who may have reached the end of his international career after what happened. I just wanted to pay tribute to him once again. It’s got nothing to do with disrespect. He’s my great idol.” (CNN Brasil)

“Cristiano Ronaldo must be looked after, because he is one of the best in history.” – Arturo Vidal

Other players have also spoken out to express their dissatisfaction with the way Ronaldo was treated, such as the legendary Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal. The 39-year-old, who was nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ in 2015 and 2016, took to social media to speak out on the matter: “What they did to him in the national team was appalling, and what the manager did was appalling too. It’s a disgrace that a player who gave his all for Portugal should leave like this. Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to be looked after, because he’s one of the best in history.” (Lance!)

Support from the fans

In Portugal, many fans also protested against Ronaldo’s departure and his decision to leave the national team, of which he has been a crucial part for over two decades.

Fans of the player put up several billboards in support of him across different parts of the country, including on major avenues in the capital, Lisbon.

One such billboard praised CR7 and criticised Jesus, with the words: ‘Thank you, Cristiano Ronaldo, for everything you’ve done for Portugal. You will always be our captain. Jorge Jesus was not up to the task; he lacked sensitivity in managing the CR7 asset; he treated a captain in the wrong way; his ego was inflated.’ (Gazeta Esportiva)

Another billboard, erected near the Portuguese Football Federation’s complex, was quickly removed, with Oeiras Town Council citing a lack of the proper licence for the structure’s installation.

The owner of the outdoor advertising company, Fernando Maia, spoke to the Portuguese website Observador and confirmed that he does not personally know Cristiano Ronaldo or anyone from the player’s team. Nevertheless, he created the billboards as a way of thanking CR7 for everything he represents as a legend of Portuguese football.

The impact of Cristiano Ronaldo

These are small examples that help to illustrate a larger phenomenon: just how important Cristiano Ronaldo is to footballers and fans, both in Portugal and around the world.

There are still many questions about what lies behind his abrupt departure, in the hope that this was not the last time CR7 wore the shirt of his beloved national team in a major competition.