Cristiano Ronaldo heads to Riyadh after Portugal camp exit amid Jorge Jesus dispute

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to return to Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Sunday after leaving Portugal’s training camp in Denmark, following his dispute with manager Jorge Jesus.

The move could signal that the Portugal captain intends to draw a line under the current international break and resume his duties with Al Nassr, rather than seek an immediate settlement to the disagreement that has unsettled the national team.

Ronaldo left the camp after Jesus announced that he would not start against Denmark. The player later said he had decided to depart after speaking to Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca, adding that he would explain the reasons for his decision at the appropriate time.

The dispute developed after Portugal’s match against Norway, in which Ronaldo remained on the bench for the entire game despite taking part in the warm-up. Goncalo Ramos scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory for Portugal.

Tensions between Ronaldo and Jesus increased afterwards, before the manager confirmed that Ronaldo would also not start against Denmark. Jesus said he would not change his technical decisions for any player.

According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Ronaldo’s decision to fly to Riyadh in his private aircraft on the same day Portugal play Norway during the international break carries significance beyond a straightforward return to Saudi Arabia.

The report says that resuming his normal journey to his club could indicate that no rapid solution or immediate compromise is being pursued, leaving the dispute to develop over the coming period.

Attempts by Jesus and Proenca to persuade Ronaldo to remain with the squad were unsuccessful. Both men went to the airport after the player left the camp, but Ronaldo boarded his private plane and travelled to Madrid.

His international future remains uncertain, although there has been no official announcement that he has retired from Portugal duty.

The disagreement has not been formally resolved. Reports say Jesus is prepared to hold another meeting with Ronaldo in an effort to end the dispute, but the Portugal captain has not yet responded to the invitation.