Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to leave Portugal’s training camp ahead of the Nations League match against Denmark has brought renewed attention to the long-running tension between the country’s dependence on its greatest star and the development of a talented generation around him.
At 41, Ronaldo remains one of the most influential figures in world football. But his departure from the squad appears to have exposed the difficulties Portugal has faced in balancing his individual status with a more collective style of play.
The roots of the conflict go back to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Before Portugal’s last-16 match against Switzerland, then-coach Fernando Santos told Ronaldo that he would not start because he lacked match fitness following a difficult period at Manchester United.
Ronaldo was reportedly unhappy with the decision.
Portugal went on to beat Switzerland 6-1, with Gonçalo Ramos starting and scoring a hat-trick while Ronaldo came on as a substitute. The performance appeared to demonstrate the possibilities of a Portugal side built around a younger, more fluid attacking group.
Players including Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix, Rafael Leão and Vitinha had the technical ability to play a faster, more associative style. According to sources close to the national team cited by El País, some players viewed Ronaldo’s absence from the starting lineup as an opportunity for that approach to flourish.
The team’s victory, however, did not resolve the tensions surrounding Ronaldo. Portugal were subsequently eliminated by Morocco in the quarter-finals, while Santos eventually lost his position.
Santos later described his relationship with Ronaldo as similar to that between a father and son. He said the decision to leave Ronaldo on the bench had been motivated by his lack of playing time and that he had wanted to explain the decision personally out of respect for the veteran forward.
The relationship between the two nevertheless deteriorated, and Ronaldo did not speak to Santos again, according to the former coach.
The episode highlighted a broader issue for Portuguese football: how to manage a player whose enormous sporting and commercial profile had become increasingly difficult to separate from the national team itself.
Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in 2023 further expanded his influence beyond football. His reported salary of around $200 million a year transformed him into a major commercial figure in Saudi Arabia, while his wealth and global following gave him a profile that extended into business and international diplomacy.
His growing links to Saudi Arabia also coincided with the country’s expanding role in global football and its successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup.
At the same time, Ronaldo’s relationship with the Portuguese federation continued to deepen. With Roberto Martínez taking over as national-team coach, the forward retained his central role.
The federation also entered into a partnership with AVA CR7, Ronaldo’s sports-recovery company, before the 2026 World Cup.
The combination of Ronaldo’s sporting importance, commercial value and political visibility has made his position within the national team unusually powerful.
But Portugal has also developed an exceptionally strong generation of players during the same period. Many have become key figures at elite European clubs, raising questions about whether the national team should continue to be structured around a player whose physical role has changed significantly with age.
Ronaldo’s latest departure from the squad came after he reportedly felt offended by coach Jorge Jesus and arranged for his private jet to collect him in Copenhagen.
Portugal responded on the pitch by beating Denmark 4-2 at the Parken Stadium. Rafael Leão wore the No. 7 shirt that Ronaldo inherited from Luis Figo.
The result does not by itself settle the debate over Ronaldo’s place in the team. But it has added another chapter to a relationship that has increasingly tested the balance between an extraordinary individual career and the collective ambitions of a national side with a deep pool of talent.
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