Will Cristiano Ronaldo play for Portugal after a row with coach Jesus?

What the report says

Cristiano Ronaldo’s future with Portugal is in question after he left the national team’s training camp last week, following coach Jorge Jesus’s decision to leave him out of the starting lineup against Denmark. Al Jazeera reported that the 41-year-old departed shortly after Jesus’s news conference, with the move drawing attention because Ronaldo had already been used sparingly in Portugal’s recent Nations League matches.

According to the report, the Portuguese Football Federation president, Pedro Proença, sees the episode as a misunderstanding that could still be resolved internally. Jesus later said Ronaldo could return if he chooses to, while stressing that the final decision rests with the player. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes also played down talk of a split in the squad, saying Ronaldo remains an important figure for the national team and urging people not to inflame tensions.

Portugal have continued to perform well without their captain, beating Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen and Norway 2-1 in Porto to qualify for the Nations League quarterfinals. The report notes that Ronaldo last played for Portugal in the win over Wales, where he was substituted after an uneven performance. More broadly, the situation matters because Ronaldo is Portugal’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, and the episode raises questions about whether he will continue with the national team as his career nears its end.