Ronaldo, 41 years old, had left the Portugal camp in Copenhagen before facing Denmark, after warming up and not participating against Norway, before promising to later reveal the truth about what happened.
Ronaldo revealed in a statement, published by the newspaper "Apola" and the Portuguese media, that he was close to retiring from international football after the 2026 World Cup, and that he had already prepared a farewell letter, before the Portuguese Federation convinced him to continue. He also confirmed that he supported the appointment of Jesus as the successor to Spanish coach Roberto Martinez.
Ronaldo accused his coach of breaking his promise twice, but at the same time he apologized to the fans for not greeting them after the Norway match, and to his teammates for leaving the camp, stressing his willingness to bear any punishment decided by the Portuguese Federation.
Ronaldo also decided his position on his international future, stressing that he will be available to return to the national team after carrying out the punishment that may be imposed on him, provided that he is physically ready and participates with his club.
The following is the full text of Ronaldo's statement, as published by the Portuguese newspaper "Apola" on Tuesday:
“As I promised, I decided to tell first-hand the circumstances surrounding the final camp of the Portuguese national team. After the 2026 World Cup, I prepared a letter to the Portuguese, which I still have, containing the words I want to address to them when I leave our national team permanently.
After the end of the tournament, and during the return trip from the United States, the president of the federation asked me and insisted that I reconsider my decision to leave, because the Portuguese federation wanted me to continue.
Immediately after that, he asked me to give my opinion on the name of the current national team coach, whom he was considering appointing along with other names that he had not revealed to me. I told the union president that I thought it would be the right choice.
That's why, when the current coach was officially introduced, I was really happy with the choice. It was the right choice, as the results prove.
A few days later, I received the first call from the new coach of the national team, and he said that he would like to meet me personally. I agreed and we set the date after the end of my vacation. We met in Football City, where my team was holding its pre-season camp.
The coach told me that day that he was counting on me and that my presence was essential to his project. He immediately gave me a plan for my participation. He said that I would play the first and last match, and that he would always make three or four changes in each match for reasons related to managing my physical condition.
He then presented to me the possibility of not traveling with the team to Norway and Denmark. He suggested that I play the first match and stay in Portugal, then rejoin the national team before the Dragao match.
I rejected this suggestion immediately. It seemed clear to me that I could not accept it. Not playing matches outside the country does not mean that I will stop leading our team. That privilege of remaining in Portugal would not have set a good example. In the end, the coach agreed with my point of view.
This conversation was witnessed by Simao Coutinho, the sporting director of Al-Nasr Club, the person to whom the current coach reported throughout last season, and one of those responsible for signing him at the club in 2025.
On the eve of the start of the camp, the coach came to my house in Lisbon to have a new conversation with me at his request. The conversation was calm, and all the principles we agreed upon in August remained the same.
I played the match at Alvalade Stadium (against Wales), and even though I was substituted, I didn't cause any trouble. I personally placed the captain's armband on Bruno Fernandes' arm, never for a moment imagining that I might be taking my final steps as a player and captain of the national team.
The most important thing for me that day was our victory. Winning is always good, and when it's in Portugal and for my country, it's even better.
At lunchtime on the day of the Norway match, one of the assistant coaches came to the table where the team was having lunch and told me that the coach wanted to talk to me. To my great surprise, the coach asked me if I was in any condition to play for 30 minutes.
I was fully focused on my physical recovery, engaged with my teammates as usual, and I thought I would not play that day, and I had no problem with that. This request was outside of my recovery and training plan, because I was only going to participate on Day 4 at the Estadio de Dragao, but of course I said yes.
He told me that I had to be ready because I would play 30 minutes. The rest everyone knows.
I started warming up after the half-time break, and I watched the minutes go by, and I was not called to participate. The coach broke his promise to me.
After the end of the match, I just wanted things to end in victory and to be left alone. I didn't go to greet the fans. This was a mistake for which I alone bear responsibility, and it should not have happened.
I apologize to the Portuguese who supported us so strongly there, I apologize to the fans, and I also apologize to those who are not Portuguese and may have traveled there to see me and were disappointed because of me.
After 48 hours, we had a meeting, the coach and I, and Simao Coutinho, because he was present in our conversations during August. It was a very profound and frank moment, without any kind of politeness or reservation.
We agreed that there was only one way to close this “case”: for the coach to repeat in the press room what he had just said to me in private, in the presence of Simao Coutinho.
The agreement was simple: the coach would start the press conference by talking about this topic, trying to end the issue by telling the truth.
He would say that I never asked to participate for a certain number of minutes, and that the coach alone, and not anyone else, was the one who suggested to me the plan for this camp, and that putting me in the warm-up and then not including me was a mistake, and that if he went back in time, he would not do that.
We ended the meeting with the coach asking me to hug him, and he promised me that he would say in the press conference what he had just told me, and that the issue would be resolved.
I will not play in Denmark, I will play the Dragao match. And all of this was always in the presence of Simao Coutinho.
At the coach’s request, a meeting was then held via video technology between him, Simao Coutinho and Thiago Craveiro, during which what we discussed was summarized.
A short document was prepared, approved by myself, and delivered to the coach with my knowledge, as he requested. As for the press conference, everyone knows what happened in it.
The way he treated me had nothing to do with what happened in our meeting. I heard phrases and a harsh tone that I thought I did not deserve, and an attitude of “I want, I can, I command,” an attitude he had not shown, not even remotely, when we spoke privately the day before.
The remarks that I agreed to were as follows: I think it is important, and because this is the truth, to clarify some things before talking about Denmark. I myself, and not anyone else, proposed to Cristiano a plan for his participation with the national team this season. It was a long and very good conversation. I know the extent of his attachment and love for the national team, his standing in the world, and most importantly his great positive influence within the national team for 24 consecutive years. Cristiano agreed to the plan I proposed to him. He never questioned my choices. He was perfect, loyal and professional.
The Norway match was not part of the plan I had set for him. But I felt that he had managed to recover physically from the first match, and I told him that I might need to play him. Cristiano agreed.
I made a mistake when I asked someone of Pele or Maradona's stature to warm up and then did not send him to the match. If I could go back in time, I wouldn't do that.
To close the topic: I want Cristiano in the national team. In fact, I don't want it a little, I want it a lot. Fortunately, he also believes in me. He believed in me in victory, and he believes in me here too.
Regarding not greeting the fans, we have already talked about that. A player who played more than 230 matches with the national team does not need lessons from me in loving Portugal. It was a moment of frustration that doesn't erase anything. He is the player who gives autographs the most, takes pictures with the fans, and shows them affection. We don't invent problems where there are no problems. When we are not happy we react. That's all that happened."
Thus, none of these notes even included the coach apologizing to me. This was the second time he broke his promise to me. I decided to leave the camp without waiting for another break of the promise. For me, truth is still the most important thing in relationships between people. No matter how painful it is, I want them to tell me the truth.
In a conversation I had with the president of the Portuguese Federation and the coach on the morning of that press conference, and they can certainly confirm this, I repeated that if they didn't want me there, they should just tell me. It was enough for them to be honest with me. I would accept it, and I promised that we would prepare something beautiful, as I dreamed would happen, and no one would be angry. I remember it as if it were today.
They both answered at the same time: No. Your place in the national team.
I have never, at any point, interfered in any technical or tactical decision of any coach or national team coach during nearly 25 years of my career. I accept, for better or worse, what I am asked to do.
I respect the decision, but when a promise is broken, I feel like I don't belong there. I also owe my teammates an apology for leaving the camp.
Despite the complete collapse of my confidence in the coach's word, as everyone who attended these conversations can attest, I should not have done it. The responsibility lies with me alone. I apologize to the Portuguese once again, but breaking a promise has a decisive impact for me.
From that moment on, I felt that my staying would only harm the work group, so I did what I always said I would do if I felt no longer useful: I packed my bags and left.
The Portuguese Football Federation must evaluate what I did and punish me for it. I consider that there should not be any mitigating circumstances.
I am not an ordinary player, I am the captain of the team, and this represents an aggravating circumstance. I have already apologized, but I know that actions must have consequences.
And anyone who works in football like me knows that regardless of everyone's position, the rules are the same for everyone.
In this context, I heard a lot of talk about farewell matches, and that I should have a farewell that befits me, and that the Federation wants to give me this opportunity.
I learned in my life, when I was hungry and often had nothing to eat, that no one gives anyone anything.
I can promise all my fans, and of course the Portuguese in particular, that we will have one or more farewell matches. There will be time for that. But when I think about the national team, what I really think about is the competition. This is what I thought when I received the news of my father's death. I was in our team's camp at the time, and I decided to stay there until the end of the next day's match. I did it for my country, something I would never do for any club.
Therefore, if I am in good physical condition, participate with my team, and score goals as I hope, then after carrying out the penalty that will be imposed on me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win with our team.
Believe me, this is the truth in all its purity.
Cristiano Ronaldo
October 6, 2026"
