'Is this the end?' Cristiano Ronaldo's future with Portugal unclear after veteran star leaves team

MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s abrupt decision to leave Portugal’s training camp after an apparent rift with coach Jorge Jesus has left many wondering about his future in international soccer.

Is he done with Portugal? Or will he make peace with his coach and be back for the next international break?

There were few answers on Thursday, a day after the all-time leading scorer in men's international soccer decided to walk out on Portugal’s training camp in a decision announced a few hours after Jesus said the star forward would not start the game against Denmark in the Nations League.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo, who played in his sixth World Cup this year, only said that in due course he would “tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons” behind his departure.

The federation also gave few details, saying only that Ronaldo left the training camp and the rest of the team would remain focused on Thursday's game against Denmark.

There was already a new holder of Ronaldo’s famous No. 7 jersey, with Rafael Leão set to wear it on Thursday. Because of UEFA rules, Portugal had to assign the number to another player after Ronaldo left the roster. Other players have worn the No. 7 in Ronaldo's absence in the past.

In Portugal, the news of Ronaldo's departure fueled speculation that the country's biggest sporting star, who had already hinted that this is his last season in soccer, would not play again for the national team.

“Is this the end?” read Thursday's front-page headline of the JM newspaper based in Ronaldo's native Madeira.

“A sad farewell,” the Portuguese sports paper A Bola said.

“CR7 turns his back on the national team,” read the headline on the O Jogo newspaper.

Portuguese media also reported that Portugal Prime Minister Luís Montenegro got involved in the situation, having talked individually to Ronaldo, Jesus and soccer federation president Pedro Proença.

Regardless of Ronaldo's and the federation's decisions going forward, the star player could possibly face a harsh punishment for leaving the training camp.

The federation's disciplinary regulations say that any player who “abandons or fails to appear” without justification at a training session, match or activity of the national teams, or any activity related to representing the federation, “shall be sanctioned with a suspension of one to six months,” in addition to a fine.

It says the “absence or abandonment shall result in the player’s automatic preventive suspension.”

Ronaldo did tell the federation that he was leaving, but it wasn't clear whether the decision would be considered justified in accordance with the federation's regulations.

Neither the federation nor Ronaldo's representatives immediately responded to requests for comment by The Associated Press on Thursday.

Ronaldo reportedly traveled to Madrid, his home for many years while playing for Real Madrid and where he usually stays when not playing with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

His social media post offered few hints about what's next.

“Following the national team coach’s news conference, and after a conversation with the president of the Portuguese football federation, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo said.

He ended his message by saying that “now is the time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates.”

Many had been expecting Ronaldo to retire from the national team after the World Cup. And while confirmed he wouldn't appear at another World Cup, he vowed to continue playing and pursuing the milestone of 1,000 career goals. He currently stands at 979, with an international men's record of 146 goals coming for Portugal.

Ronaldo recently said that this Saudi Pro League season is likely to be the last of his professional career. Al-Nassr’s next match is Oct. 9.

Jesus, who coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr last season when they won the Saudi Arabian league title together, took over from Roberto Martínez after Portugal's round-of-16 elimination at the World Cup. He said Wednesday in the pre-game news conference that he was not planning to start Ronaldo in the Nations League match against Denmark. But he dismissed the notion there was a feud between him and Ronaldo, and said the player told him that he would accept any decision he would make.

“It seems like there was an issue between us, but there was no issue,” Jesus said before Ronaldo announced his decision to leave.

Ronaldo didn't play Sunday in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway. He hadn't trained with the rest of the group since, sparking widespread rumors about a possible spat with Jesus. The coach said Ronaldo would practice normally on Wednesday, but he ended up deciding to leave.

Jesus acknowledged that someone with the stature of Ronaldo deserved a different type of attention from coaches, but emphasized that the “rules are the same for everyone.”

Jesus admitted that he told Ronaldo that he would play at least a few minutes against Norway, but changed his mind because of the game's circumstances. He said he's the one making the team choices and "no player will ever make a decision for me.”

He said it was a mistake to send Ronaldo to warm up for as long as he did, and then not use him against Norway. Jesus added that “any player” would be upset about that.

Ronaldo started in Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales last Thursday but was substituted in the 67th minute. On Tuesday, he posted on Instagram a photo of him wearing the kit accompanied by the country’s flag and a heart emoji.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo starts on the bench during a Nations League soccer match between between Norway and Portugal, in Oslo, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, left, and Diogo Dalot arrive for training in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, ahead of their Nations League soccer match against Denmark. (Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, left, and Diogo Dalot arrive for training in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, ahead of their Nations League soccer match against Denmark. (Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus stands by the pitch before the Nations League soccer match between Portugal and Wales in Lisbon, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo arrives for training in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, ahead of their Nations League soccer match against Denmark. (Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

PARIS (AP) — Deep into extra time in the 2006 World Cup final, France star Zinedine Zidane planted a firm headbutt into the chest of Italy defender Marco Materazzi. The force sent Materazzi flying backward and Zidane's stellar career ended with a red card.

Zidane faces Italy again on Friday, this time in a suit as France's coach. The Nations League game at Stade de France will be his first at home since taking charge of Les Bleus.

Although 20 years have passed, the headbutt incident remains one of soccer's most iconic and talked-about moments.

“The images always remind me of it, they’re shown over and over again,” Zidane said Thursday at a pre-match news conference. “But luckily that’s not all I ever did and there are other (images) that are nicer.”

Zidane still does not regret what he did.

“They're not regrets. It’s part of my career. I’m not proud of what happened, but you can’t always do just good things," he said. “We’re all on a journey in life, where (sometimes) you do things that aren’t the best. But now it’s about what comes next.”

Zidane never played again after the 2006 final and, at the time, thought it was the last thing he would be remembered for with France.

“Yes, because I didn’t know I was going to become coach. So for me it was the end, and I can say things were very, very difficult," Zidane recalled. “I’m ready to come back and coach the France team, I want to give everything I have."

He has not spoken with Materazzi since.

“No,” Zidane said firmly. “Not at all.”

After the two briefly exchanged words, Zidane jogged forward to join the play. He suddenly stopped, turned around and stooped his head to push it into Materazzi.

As the Italian players reacted angrily, Zidane adjusted his captain's armband before speaking to Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo, who brandished a red card high in the air in front of a stunned crowd in Berlin.

In July, Elizondo told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that neither he nor his two assistants had seen the incident. Elizondo was only alerted to it by the fourth official, long before video reviews existed in soccer.

As the images were replayed on French television, the late soccer commentator Thierry Gilardi expressed the disbelief of millions watching the drama unfold back home.

“Oh Zinedine, not that. Not that, Zinedine. Oh no, not that," Gilardi pleaded. "Not today, not after everything you’ve achieved.”

Head bowed, Zinedine walked solemnly past the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy he had raised eight years earlier when France won the World Cup. With Zidane gone, Italy won the ensuing penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

They were the main protagonists of that tense final.

Materazzi's early foul on winger Florent Malouda led to Zidane scoring with an audacious Panenka-style penalty.

As he stepped up, Zidane avoided eye contact with Gianluigi Buffon, the world’s best goalkeeper at the time, thus negating Buffon's options to read what he would do. Buffon went the wrong way on Zidane's brilliantly disguised scuffed shot, with the ball hitting the underside of the crossbar and bouncing over the line.

Zidane almost scored again but his injury-time header was superbly tipped over by Buffon. Soon after, Zidane was in the dressing room taking in what happened.

Speculation abounded as to what made ZZ blow his top.

“He triggered something by mentioning my sister Lila," Zidane told sports daily L’Equipe in 2022. “Sometimes it’s in moments like those that you might do something wrong.”

Materazzi gave his version of events.

“I held (Zidane) by the shirt a little in order so he couldn’t jump. I said sorry twice. Then he said, ‘If you want my shirt I’ll give it to you later,’ and I said something to him," Materazzi explained. "But nothing worse then what we used to say as kids playing on the beach in Bari.”

Zidane’s two goals in the 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil made him an overnight superstar. A Ballon d’Or award followed and, two years later, his inspired performances led Les Bleus to glory at the European Championship.

Hundreds of fans cheered him outside the French soccer federation's headquarters when he was appointed France coach after the World Cup, replacing Didier Deschamps.

Zidane has won his first two games in charge away from home, 1-0 against Turkey and Belgium. Italy's rebuilding under returning coach Roberto Mancini began with a 2-0 home loss to Belgium, but there is optimism following a 4-1 win at Turkey.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Italy head coach Roberto Mancini watches during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and Belgium in Rome, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

France's coach Zinedine Zidane stands before the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Belgium and France in Brussels, Belgium, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

FILE - France's Zinedine Zidane gets a red card from referee Horacio Elizondo of Argentina after head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi in the chest during extra time in the final of the soccer World Cup between Italy and France in Berlin, July 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

FILE - France's Zinedine Zidane past the World Cup trophy as he walks of the pitch after receiving a red card for head-butting Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the final of the soccer World Cup between Italy and France in Berlin, on Sunday, July 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File) ** MOBILE/PDA USAGE OUT **

FILE - Referee Horacio Elizondo shows the red card to France's Zineidine Zidane during the final of the soccer World Cup between Italy and France in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, on July 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)