Edu Aguirre Reveals Alleged Reason Behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal Exit

Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to leave Portugal’s training camp has taken another turn after Spanish journalist and close friend Edu Aguirre revealed what he claims happened behind the scenes between the captain and head coach Jorge Jesus.

According to Aguirre, Ronaldo, Jorge Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença held a private meeting following Portugal’s 2–1 victory over Norway.

Aguirre claims that during the meeting, Jesus apologised to Ronaldo for allowing him to warm up for around 30 minutes without eventually bringing him onto the pitch.

The journalist further alleged that Jesus promised Ronaldo he would publicly acknowledge the mistake and apologise during his subsequent press conference.

However, Aguirre claims that Jesus did not fulfil that promise. Instead, the coach publicly defended his decision and emphasised that Ronaldo's status would not determine his tactical choices.

According to Aguirre, the difference between what was allegedly discussed privately and what Jesus later said publicly left Ronaldo feeling betrayed and contributed to his decision to leave the Portugal camp.

Ronaldo confirmed his departure from the national team camp in a social media statement, saying that his decision followed Jesus’ press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença. He added that he would explain the reasons behind his decision “in time.”

Jesus, however, has denied that there was a serious rift with Ronaldo. He explained that Ronaldo had been told beforehand that he would not start against Norway but could be introduced later, and said the decision not to bring him on was based on how the match developed.

The Portuguese Football Federation has confirmed Ronaldo’s departure from the camp, with the remaining squad continuing preparations for the upcoming fixtures.

Aguirre’s account has not been independently confirmed by Ronaldo, Jesus or the Portuguese Football Federation. Ronaldo has yet to publicly give his full explanation for leaving the camp.