[Official] Ronaldo abruptly retires from national team, teases revelation: "I will speak when the time comes"... From 'bench humiliation' to 'angry departure from team hotel'

*This content was translated by AI.

Cristiano Ronaldo (41) has declared his retirement from the Portugal national team, following reports of a rift with the manager.

Portuguese outlet 'O Jogo' reported on the 1st (Korean time), "Ronaldo has made an irreversible decision to leave the Portuguese national team." It added, "The match against Wales held at Alvalade will remain Ronaldo's final appearance as a national team player."

According to the report, Ronaldo has already left the Wi Chi-han (CEO) team hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark. He finalized his withdrawal from the national team camp after meeting with Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), on the night before the match.

Ronaldo also directly announced his departure through his own social media (SNS). He stated, "After watching the national team manager's press conference, I spoke with the FPF president and decided to withdraw from the Na Nu-go (CEO) team call-up." He further teased additional revelations by saying, "When the time comes, I will reveal the true reason for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated, to all Portuguese citizens," adding, "Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates good luck."

This retirement decision is directly linked to the recent 'bench humiliation' and 'defiance controversy.' Ronaldo sat on the bench for the entire 90 minutes in the previous match against Norway. While his national team teammates approached the stands after the final whistle to greet fans, he alone slipped out to the locker room.

Media worldwide strongly criticized Ronaldo's impulsive behavior. French outlet 'L'Equipe' emphasized that it is the first time since Euro 2008 that Ronaldo has been absent for a full 90 minutes in an official match. Argentina's 'TyC Sports' suggested that Gonzalo Higuain's outstanding performance led to Ronaldo's absence, raising the possibility of a clash with new manager Jorge Jesus.

As rumors of discord spread, Ronaldo took steps to dismiss the controversy by posting the word "Vamos" (Let's go) and a smiling photo on social media. Manager Jesus also attempted to calm the situation by mentioning the possibility of Ronaldo playing in the upcoming match against Denmark, but Ronaldo ultimately left the hotel.

This is not the first time Ronaldo has clashed with the national team manager or engaged in impulsive behavior. In the 2022 Qatar World Cup match against South Korea, he expressed dissatisfaction with a substitution order, clashing with then-manager Fernando Santos. In the Euro 2020 matches against Belgium and Serbia in 2021, unable to control his anger, he threw the captain's armband on the ground. During Euro 2016, he also grabbed a reporter's microphone and threw it into a lake.

Since his debut in 2002, Ronaldo has played a total of 1,364 matches. Of these, only 24 matches (1.76%) were instances where he was included in the match list but did not step onto the field. This highly unusual bench wait, considering his entire brilliant career, ultimately led to a bitter retirement from the national team.

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*This content was translated by AI.