Portugal’s top players finally open up about the Cristiano Ronaldo story after beating Denmark
Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos are the first Portugal players to speak out about Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the national team camp earlier this week.
Ronaldo, 41, had decided to keep playing for Portugal after the World Cup. He even started in their 2-1 Nations League win over Wales last month. But he didn’t play in the win against Norway and left the team camp unexpectedly on Wednesday, saying he would share the real reason behind his departure “in time.”
Coach Jorge Jesus, who worked with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, says there’s no conflict between them. Mendes and Ramos have become the first players to openly talk about the situation.
Paris Saint-Germain’s left-back Mendes played in all three of Portugal’s games during this international break, including the 4-2 win over Denmark on Thursday. After the game, he faced the media and was asked about Ronaldo leaving and how it affected the team.
Mendes said it’s not their place to decide if Ronaldo comes back but that any player who wants to play for Portugal is always welcome. “He’s a player for the national team. We focus on what the coach wants from us,” Mendes said (via Fabrizio Romano). “We’re here to welcome any player who joins us.”
AC Milan striker Ramos shared a similar view after the match: “That story didn’t affect us. We want to win every game, and that’s what we did.”
Defender Renato Veiga, who is close to Ronaldo, said he was told not to talk about the situation. “I can’t talk about it, but I care about him a lot,” Veiga added.
Portugal will finish their international matches with a home game against Norway on Sunday. Ramos started and scored in the win over Denmark, helping his chances to keep his spot on the team. Rafael Leao wore Ronaldo’s usual number seven shirt during the game, with Bruno Fernandes and Pedro Neto also on the field.
Besides Ramos, coach Jesus also has Rafael Leao, Fabio Silva, and Joao Felix as options up front. Felix, who plays with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, came off the bench and scored against Denmark.
What happens next with Portugal and Ronaldo seems complicated. Ronaldo was expected to retire from the national team after the World Cup but surprised many by saying he would continue. However, he stayed on the bench against Norway and left quickly after the game instead of celebrating with fans.
Coach Jesus said there was no problem between him and Ronaldo and that he told Ronaldo he wouldn’t start the game against Norway but could come in during the second half. “No one likes sitting on the bench after warming up. After talking to Ronaldo, I decided not to bring him on,” Jesus explained.
Ronaldo later said he left the team camp after talks with the Portuguese Football Federation president, Pedro Proenca. He promised to share the full story behind his decision when the time is right.