In Copenhagen, where Portugal’s players trained at Parken Stadium for Thursday’s Nations League meeting with Denmark, Cristiano Ronaldo was already on his way to Madrid. The 41-year-old left the national-team camp by private jet after announcing on social media that he would not remain with the squad, turning an uneasy dispute with coach Jorge Jesus into a full public rupture.
The row followed Portugal’s match against Norway on Sunday, when Ronaldo did not play at all. It was the first time in 18 years that he had begun an international as a substitute and remained on the bench until the final whistle. Jesus said he had been compelled to hold talks with the captain after Ronaldo’s frustration at being unused.
With Ronaldo absent for the trip to Denmark, Portugal have reassigned the shirt most closely tied to him. Rafael Leao, the AC Milan winger, will wear No. 7 for the fixture in the Danish capital.
The change was confirmed in UEFA’s matchday player list. Nations League regulations require the selected squad for each game to use numbers from 1 to 23, with the official list released on the morning of the match. Leao, 27, had worn No. 17 in Portugal’s first two games of the competition, but will now take the famous No. 7 amid a situation that appears far from settled.
