Cristiano Ronaldo misses Portugal training amid doubts over Denmark clash

Cristiano Ronaldo has been absent from Portugal’s team training since last weekend, a situation that raises fresh doubts about his involvement in Thursday’s match against Denmark in Copenhagen. The 41-year-old, the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football, was left on the bench for the 2-1 win over Norway and has completed only gym sessions since then, the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed.

• Ronaldo has not trained with the group since Sunday’s victory over Norway, where Jorge Jesus kept him on the bench.
• The Portuguese federation says the forward has worked only in the gym during that period.
• Portugal lead Group A4 of the Nations League with six points, three clear of Denmark and Norway.
• Jesus said before the Norway game that he wanted to avoid overusing his captain across four matches in eleven days.

Why Ronaldo was left out against Norway

Jorge Jesus took charge of Portugal after the World Cup and has preached a measured approach to his star forward’s workload. Before the trip to Norway, the coach argued that he did not want to push Ronaldo through an unusually demanding international window, with four games squeezed into eleven days.

Jesus expected to bring him on during the match, but the way the game unfolded kept the veteran watching from the sidelines. After the win, the coach admitted he planned to speak with the player, responding to reports in the Portuguese media that Ronaldo was frustrated by the decision.

Ronaldo’s role in Portugal’s strong start

The Portugal captain did start the opening fixture of this window, the 1-0 victory over Wales, and played 67 minutes before being substituted. That result kept Portugal perfect at the top of Group A4 with six points, a position they will look to strengthen in Denmark and, on Sunday, back at home against Norway.

Ronaldo’s response and the federation’s move

As speculation swirled, Ronaldo posted a photo on Instagram on Tuesday wearing the official Portugal tracksuit, alongside the national flag and a heart emoji. The post was widely read as an attempt to ease tension around his situation with the national team.

Portuguese outlets claimed that federation president Pedro Proença travelled to meet both the player and the coach. The federation would only confirm that the official is with the squad as preparations continue for the Copenhagen fixture.

The chase for 1,000 career goals remains on hold

Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 146 international appearances for Portugal and is chasing a milestone no other player in professional football history has reached: 1,000 official goals across club and country. Every match he misses delays a landmark that has long defined his personal agenda.

What Portugal have at stake in Copenhagen

Portugal arrive on Thursday as comfortable leaders of their group with six points from two matches. A win in Denmark would stretch their advantage and all but secure qualification, while a slip would tighten the table with both the Danes and Norwegians waiting to pounce.

Denmark and Norway each have three points, while Wales sit bottom with none. The Nations League offers spots in the finals tournament and influences the seeding for World Cup qualifying play-offs.