The Galatasaray forward was listed with the number on Portugal’s revised squad for the match at Parken, kicking off at 8:45pm local time. He had never worn it for the national team before.

Ronaldo, 41, left the camp late on Wednesday after Jesus addressed the squad situation in a press conference earlier that day. The Portugal captain travelled by private jet to Madrid and announced his departure on Instagram.

“Following the national team manager’s press conference, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo wrote.

“In due course, I will tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons behind my departure from the national team, to which I have always been dedicated.”

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He wished his teammates luck and did not elaborate on the dispute. The Portuguese Football Federation has not commented publicly on his future with the squad.

Jesus: ‘No player will ever make a decision for me’

The split had been building since Sunday, when Portugal beat Norway 2-1 in Oslo and Ronaldo spent the match on the bench. Gonçalo Ramos started in his place and scored the winner in the 54th minute, chipping the ball over Ørjan Nyland after a loose pass from the Norway goalkeeper. João Félix had opened the scoring; Erling Haaland pulled Norway level before the hour.

At his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Jesus denied there was any personal rift with the captain.

“It seems like there was an issue between us, but there was no issue. I’m the one who makes the decisions and everybody knows that,” Jesus told reporters.

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“I can promise whatever I want, I’m the coach. No player will ever make a decision for me.”

Jesus said the plan for the international window had been for Ronaldo to feature in the opening and closing fixtures while sitting out the two middle games against Norway and Denmark to manage his minutes. He said he had considered using Ronaldo as a substitute in Oslo but that the circumstances of the game did not fit.

UEFA’s listing briefly showed two No. 7s

A revised Portugal squad sheet handed Leão the shirt that Ronaldo has worn for more than a decade. UEFA’s official roster for the fixture briefly displayed both players under the No. 7 before the duplication was cleaned up, as flagged by AllFootball. Ronaldo was not included in the matchday squad.

Leão moved to Galatasaray from AC Milan on 30 August for a reported €38m fee, ending seven seasons in Serie A. He has usually worn No. 17 for Portugal.

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Jesus took over the national team in July 2026 on a four-year contract, replacing Roberto Martínez after Portugal’s exit from the 2026 World Cup. His first set of competitive fixtures as head coach has now produced a win in Norway, a public rift with his captain, and a new face on the country’s most recognisable shirt.

Portugal face Denmark at Parken on Thursday evening with Leão wearing No. 7 and Ronaldo back in Madrid.

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