Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence on Portugal walkout, vows to remain available for national team

Cristiano Ronaldo has clarified his stance on his departure from the Portugal national team, stating his continued commitment to representing his country and his readiness to be selected once he has served any disciplinary action. The 41-year-old Al Nassr player had expressed doubts about his international future following his decision to leave the camp.

In a statement to Reuters, Ronaldo emphasized that he has no intention of abandoning the national team at the moment. He apologized to his teammates and the Portuguese public for leaving the squad, acknowledging that disciplinary action could follow his actions. Ronaldo's departure was triggered by him being an unused substitute during Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win against Norway on September 27.

He claimed he had agreed with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus to miss both matches as part of a fitness management plan, but Jesus changed the arrangement on match day and told him he would play for 30 minutes. Ronaldo said it was the second time the coach had broken their agreement, leading him to leave the training camp without waiting for further promises.

The captain rejected the notion that he tried to interfere with the coach's decisions, insisting that his issue was about trust and respect. Jesus denied making an agreement with Ronaldo regarding the Norway and Denmark matches, but left the door open for the veteran forward to return to the national team. Ronaldo promised to reveal more about the dispute in the future, but stressed his commitment to Portugal and his focus on competing and winning with the team.