Cristiano Ronaldo‘s decision to leave Portugal‘s training camp has sparked a divided reaction from fans, with some defending the veteran while others believe he should have walked away from international football long before now.
Ronaldo confirmed his departure on Wednesday after speaking with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca, shortly after head coach Jorge Jesus said he would not start against Denmark.
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The 41-year-old has not trained with Portugal since Sunday’s 2-1 win over Norway, which he watched from the bench after warming up without being introduced.
Ronaldo said he would reveal the reasons behind his decision “in due course”, adding that he wanted to wish Portugal and his teammates well.
That has only added to the speculation surrounding his relationship with Jesus, although the Portugal boss has repeatedly denied there is a serious issue between them.
Some fans were frustrated by the latest developments, with one writing: “Everything about you is always drama. You could’ve easily left the national team respectfully after the World Cup but no! There must be drama in your dealings! 💀”
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Another supporter took the opposite view, defending Ronaldo’s contribution to Portugal.
“We, the Portuguese, are grateful to you for having put our small country, without history, on the map today. The best of all time. Please don’t retire, we need you to win the 2030 World Cup. 🇵🇹🐐”
There were also calls for Ronaldo to walk away, with one fan saying: “The longer you stay, the longer you will get mocked. Retire now.”
Another Portuguese supporter strongly defended the forward, writing: “As a Portuguese, I’m ashamed of my own people attacking and mocking Cristiano Ronaldo right now. He’s by far the most influential Portuguese ever. They could live 1000 lifetimes and still wouldn’t come close to touching his level. A bunch of ungrateful, irrelevant nobodies.”
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Others questioned the role of the Portuguese federation, with one fan claiming: “It’s was the manager and the president who called upon him due to potential revenue losses and now they want him to leave. That’s not how it works buddy.”
