Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the Portugal camp on the eve of facing Denmark

Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portugal camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday, on the eve of the trip to Denmark (Thursday, 19:45 UK time, Parken). Jorge Jesus had told him he would not start, three days after leaving him on the bench for the whole win in Norway (2-1) while he warmed up for half an hour waiting to come on.

On Tuesday the captain skipped training and the federation president, Pedro Proença, travelled to the squad. Ronaldo flew home on a private jet without saying goodbye to his teammates; Rafael Leão has taken the number 7 shirt. The federation confirmed the departure: the squad “continues its preparation with the 24 remaining players”. On Instagram, Ronaldo promised his own account: “In due time, I will tell the truth to all Portuguese people.”

A bitter press, a retirement not confirmed

In A Bola, Luís Pedro Ferreira writes: “You never abandon the team. And above all, you do not abandon it because of a technical decision.” O Jogo says Ronaldo’s presence in the national team had become “a real soap opera”; Rogério Alves, on CNN Portugal, concludes: “Diplomacy has failed.” But no international retirement is confirmed: O Jogo takes it as done, A Bola calls a return “a distant dream”, and the story of a player “betrayed” by Jesus’s double talk comes only from Edu Aguirre, a journalist close to Ronaldo.

Jesus plays it down. “There is nothing to make an incident out of”, he said at his press conference, before warning: “No player will change the way I think about football.” He confirmed Gonçalo Ramos will lead the line tonight.

The dressing room leaves, the team sheet stays

On the pitch, almost nothing changes: Ramos was already due to start up front, and the captain’s departure shakes the dressing room, not the starting eleven. The market agrees: Portugal are still 2.10 to win, their opening price. My match preview and its bet, Portugal to win at 2.15 with Bwin ES, lose none of their logic. 18+. Only bet what you can afford to lose.

The goals market has been busier: over 2.5 goals has come down to 1.70 this morning at 1xbet, from 2.03 at the open.

Then comes Sunday, and Norway’s visit to Porto. Whether Ronaldo plays is defined by no one: A Bola calls it unlikely, O Jogo says he will never wear the shirt again. Neither claim is official.