Bruno Fernandes has denied any rift inside the Portugal squad and hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as the “greatest symbol” of the national team, days after the Ronaldo Portugal walkout from the team’s training camp in Copenhagen. The 41-year-old forward left the camp on Wednesday, September 30, after head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed he would be benched again for Thursday’s Nations League clash with Denmark — and promised he would tell the Portuguese people “the truth” about his reasons “in due course.”
FAKTA
- Who: Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, Portugal captain; Al Nassr forward; five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
- What: Left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and flew by private jet to Madrid.
- Why: Head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed Ronaldo would start on the bench against Denmark — after the veteran had spent the entire 2-1 Nations League win over Norway on September 27 on the bench as well.
- The exit: Ronaldo announced his departure on Instagram after talks with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença, vowing to reveal “the truth” about his reasons “in due course.”
- On the pitch: Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen on October 1 to stay perfect in Nations League Group A4; they host Norway in Porto on Sunday, October 4.
- The fallout: Fernandes called Ronaldo the “greatest symbol” of team and country; Ronaldo’s sister Elma Aveiro launched a furious attack on his critics on Instagram.
Ronaldo Portugal walkout: what triggered it
The fuse was lit in Oslo. Ronaldo spent the whole of Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway on Sunday, September 27, on the bench, then walked straight to the dressing room at full time without joining his team-mates in acknowledging the travelling supporters. Two days later, head coach Jorge Jesus told a press conference that the 41-year-old would be benched again for Thursday’s trip to Denmark.
What followed moved fast. Ronaldo had been due to train with the squad at Parken Stadium on Wednesday but left abruptly after Jesus’s press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença. In his Instagram statement he wrote: “Following the national team coach’s press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp.” The federation confirmed his departure in an official note, while Spanish media reported that Jesus and Proença followed him to Copenhagen airport in a failed attempt to talk him into staying.
Fernandes: he will always be the greatest symbol
Speaking at a press conference after the Denmark win, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes revealed he had spoken directly with Ronaldo and moved to shut down talk of a divided dressing room. “To put an end to this matter once and for all, I don’t need to speak with my colleagues,” he said. “We know how to manage our situations. We have a situation that has nothing to do with the players, and our most important role is to deliver results.”
Fernandes was effusive about his former club team-mate: “I had a conversation with Cris. What I told him is that the most important thing, regardless of what happens, is that he will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team and country, for everything he has done in Portugal and around the world.” He added: “We cannot divide ourselves; the national team is one, and all parties should resolve their issues behind closed doors.”
Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 without their captain
On the pitch, Portugal answered every question about life without Ronaldo. They maintained their perfect start to Nations League Group A4 with a 4-2 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday night — a result that underlined Fernandes’s message that the squad’s job is to deliver results regardless of the noise around it.
What happens next
Portugal host Norway in Porto on Sunday, October 4, with the squad down to 24 players. Ronaldo’s international future is now the open question: the Portuguese federation’s disciplinary code allows players who leave camp without permission to be suspended from the national team for between one and six months, though no sanction has been announced. Jesus has insisted there was “no incident whatsoever” and that the matter is “water under the bridge” from his side — but Ronaldo’s promise to tell “all the Portuguese people the truth” means this story is far from over. Follow Portugal’s Nations League campaign on Watan News.
