Cristiano Ronaldo is set for crisis talks with the Portuguese Football Federation after refusing to take part in a training session following his shock omission against Norway.
The 41-year-old was an unused substitute as Portugal secured a 2-1 victory in Oslo on Sunday, marking the first time in 18 years that their captain had failed to come off the bench for his country.
Training boycott and talks
Ronaldo's frustration is now reported to have escalated, with the Portugal superstar briefly speaking to head coach Jorge Jesus on Tuesday before opting not to take part in the team's normal training session. Instead, Ronaldo went to the gym at the team hotel in Malmo, where Portugal are preparing for Thursday night's Nations League meeting with Denmark.
There is no indication that Ronaldo is injured. He has not trained normally since Saturday and it remains unclear whether he will take part in Wednesday's session.
Jesus and Ronaldo are due to meet with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença, who has changed his travel plans and headed to Copenhagen in an attempt to resolve the situation.
Wales performance and Norway benching
The developments come just days after Ronaldo started against Wales, when he played for 67 minutes before being replaced by Gonçalo Ramos in Portugal's 1-0 victory. Ronaldo had spoken about his international future before that game, saying he had discussed the matter with Jesus and would decide when the time was right to bring his Portugal career to an end.
The veteran forward has won a record 234 caps for his country. Ronaldo was benched after his performance against Wales, but had been expected to play the final 30 minutes against Norway. However, Jesus changed his plans as the match developed.
Portugal took the lead through João Félix in the 17th minute before Erling Haaland equalised six minutes after half-time. Ramos restored Portugal's advantage three minutes later, but Ronaldo was ultimately left on the bench as Jesus opted against making the change he had initially planned.
Ronaldo then headed straight down the tunnel after the final whistle while his team-mates stayed on the pitch to acknowledge the travelling supporters.
Coach's defence and fallout
Jesus subsequently defended his decision to keep Ronaldo on the bench. "Gonçalo Ramos was playing well, he had scored a goal and had another one ruled out," he said. "I felt it was not the right moment to substitute him. It was not to protect him physically, because he was in the condition to play as long as I wanted. The match followed its course and it stopped being the opportune moment to bring on Cris. Instead, another player was necessary to guarantee balance and the result."
There was also an issue on Monday when the gym at Eleda Stadion, Malmo's home ground, did not have the equipment required for Ronaldo's individual training programme. Despite the growing tensions, Ronaldo appeared to send a public message of loyalty to Portugal on Tuesday. He posted a photograph of himself wearing the national team tracksuit on social media, alongside a Portugal flag and a red heart.
It remains to be seen whether he will train with his team-mates on Wednesday or whether the talks with Jesus and Proença will lead to a resolution before Thursday's meeting with Denmark.
