Ronaldo apologises for leaving Portugal camp after row with Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo has apologised to his Portugal teammates and supporters for leaving the national team camp following a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over his playing time.

The Al Nassr forward said he accepted responsibility for his decision, although he maintained that Jesus broke an agreement over his involvement in the match against Norway.

Ronaldo, 41, said Jesus had asked if he was willing to play for 30 minutes, to which he agreed after focusing on his physical recovery.

According to the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star, he subsequently spent the entire second half warming up but was not introduced.

Ronaldo said the situation left him feeling that the coach had failed to honour his word.

“I warmed up from halftime, watched the minutes go by, and was never called on. The head coach had failed to keep his word,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Despite his frustration, Ronaldo admitted that leaving the camp during an international window was wrong and apologised to his teammates and the Portuguese public.

He said the disagreement had created a situation where he believed his continued presence could negatively affect the team.

“I should not have done it. The responsibility is entirely mine,” Ronaldo said.

He explained that he decided to leave because he had always maintained that he would withdraw when he felt he was no longer useful to the team.

Ronaldo also rejected suggestions that the incident could signal the end of his international career.

He said he remained available for selection as long as he was fit and continued to score goals for Al Nassr.