Ronaldo's Portugal Future in Doubt After Walkout Over Bench Role

Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal's squad after being benched against Norway and told he would not start against Denmark, leaving his international future in doubt.

Cristiano Ronaldo's future with Portugal is in doubt after the 41-year-old forward left the national squad amid a dispute with new head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo was angered by being asked to warm up without ever coming on against Norway in the Nations League, then departed camp after learning he would not start against Denmark either. Talks between the player, his representatives and the Portuguese federation are continuing.

The rupture falls just days before a very different goodbye. Lionel Messi, 39, retired from international football after a World Cup in which he scored eight goals and assisted four more in taking Argentina to the final, and a home friendly against Benin on Tuesday is set to be his last appearance. Ronaldo, 41, opted to play on for Portugal, who replaced Roberto Martinez with Jesus, his coach at Saudi club Al-Nassr last season.

The breakdown came quickly. Less than two weeks ago Ronaldo said he had spoken with the federation president and the coach and still believed he could help the national team reach its goals. He then started in a 1-0 win against Wales, only to be told he would sit on the bench for the Norway match.

Biographer Guillem Balague said Ronaldo was asked to warm up for nearly the whole second half yet never came on, leaving him an unused substitute for Portugal for the first time in 18 years. Ronaldo headed straight down the tunnel at the final whistle rather than joining his teammates. Jesus played down any rift but confirmed he would not start against Denmark either, and Ronaldo left the camp, posting that he would in time explain to the Portuguese people why he had gone, insisting on his lasting commitment to the national team.

Federation president Pedro Proenca flew to Copenhagen, landing at about 2:30 in the morning, in an unsuccessful attempt to smooth matters over. He has since said Ronaldo merits his place in the squad beyond any question and deserves the nation's tribute.

The stakes are framed by Ronaldo's records. His 146 goals and 234 caps for Portugal are both world marks, and his career total stands at 979 goals for Portugal, Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr, leaving the chase for 1,000 to be finished at club level if the rift holds.

Opinion in Portugal has split. Billboards in Lisbon have thanked Ronaldo while accusing Jesus of insensitivity, of mistreating his captain and of an inflated ego, with one placed beside the Estadio da Luz, home of Benfica, the club Jesus guided to three league titles. At the Denmark game some fans wore shirts supporting Jesus while others were dressed entirely in Ronaldo merchandise, and Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund celebrated his goal with Ronaldo's trademark siuuu, as he has done before when scoring against Portugal.

Portugal's newspapers divided along similar lines: Record, in which Ronaldo owns shares, presented his exit as the result of a clash with Jesus; Jornal de Noticias saw the close of a historic era; Bola called it a sad farewell; and Jogo wrote that the captain had turned his back on the national team. Videos showed angry supporters tearing up Portugal shirts, and Jesus and Proenca were booed as they left a building in Copenhagen. Maria Ribeiro, a fan from Lisbon, said supporters love Ronaldo but the stand-off has become too much, even if Portugal without him is hard to imagine.

Portugal beat Norway on Sunday in their final Nations League fixture, again without Ronaldo, and are not due to play again until they meet Denmark in November. Jesus said afterwards that Ronaldo can come back if he wants, that the two could speak before the next squad is announced, and that Ronaldo alone should decide how his international career ends. Messi's farewell comes first: Benin visit Argentina on Tuesday, October 6 at Estadio Más Monumental, with kickoff at 7:00 PM EDT.