Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent pledge to put Portugal ahead of himself has quickly come under scrutiny after tensions emerged within the national team camp.
Just a week ago, the 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward insisted that he was fully committed to the Seleção and rejected suggestions that he considered himself more important than his teammates.
“I’m here to help, whether I play or not. I’m just one among many,” Ronaldo said. “I’ll do whatever the coach wants of me: play, come off, or even not play. The honor I have to represent Portugal is greater than anything.”
However, just six days later, his words were put to the test.
Ronaldo started Portugal’s 1-0 victory over Wales but came under heavy criticism for his lack of finishing. The situation took an unexpected turn in the following match against Norway, when Jorge Jesus decided to leave his captain on the bench for the entire 2-1 victory.
The decision appeared to frustrate Ronaldo, who was visibly unhappy on the sidelines.
After the match, Jesus explained that Ronaldo had initially been expected to enter the game as a substitute, but that circumstances ultimately led him to change his plans.
“I didn’t realize that he was sulking. Only he can answer that,” Jesus said. “What’s certain is that just because he didn’t come on doesn’t mean I’m not counting on him.”
The Portugal coach added that he had told Ronaldo before the match that he would not start but was expected to feature from the bench. However, with another important game against Denmark approaching, Jesus ultimately decided not to make the change.
The situation took another turn on Tuesday.
As Portugal arrived in Malmö ahead of their next fixture, Ronaldo appeared at Eleda Stadion around 30 minutes before the start of team training. Following a brief conversation with Jesus, however, the forward returned to the team hotel instead of taking part in the session.
The Portuguese Football Federation officially explained that the Malmö club did not have the necessary facilities for Ronaldo to complete his individual training program.
Jesus, meanwhile, played down any suggestion of a dispute with his star player.
“I speak to Cristiano Ronaldo every day, every minute,” he said after training.
Despite the coach’s comments, the incident has attracted significant attention from the Portuguese media. According to reports, FPF president Pedro Proença has changed his schedule and is now traveling to Malmö for an emergency meeting involving Jesus and Ronaldo.
Proença had originally been expected to travel to Ponta Delgada in the Azores for Portugal’s U21 match against Gibraltar before heading to Denmark on Thursday for the senior team’s encounter with the Scandinavian side.
Instead, he reportedly decided to skip the U21 fixture and travel directly toward Copenhagen before crossing the Öresund Bridge into Sweden.
The developments have added another layer of tension to Portugal’s preparations, with Ronaldo’s role in the team now attracting renewed scrutiny just days after he publicly insisted that he was willing to accept whatever role his coach asked of him.
