Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of the national team's camp in Copenhagen late on Wednesday after being told he would remain on the bench against Denmark for a second consecutive Nations League match. The departure followed a press conference where coach Jorge Jesus confirmed the 41-year-old former Real Madrid forward and five-time Ballon d'Or winner would be left out of his starting line-up.

"Following the national team coach's press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team's training camp," Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. Ronaldo had spent the entirety of Sunday's 2-1 win in Norway on the bench after captaining Portugal in a 1-0 home victory over Wales last Thursday, while his team beat Denmark 4-2 in his absence.

"In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated," Ronaldo added, hinting at a deeper rift. Spanish sports daily Marca reported that Jesus and federation president Pedro Proenca followed Ronaldo to Copenhagen airport to persuade him to stay, despite Jesus insisting earlier that no rift existed.