Bruno Fernandes says he has spoken to Cristiano Ronaldo and denies a rift within Portugal’s squad after the 41-year-old abruptly left the team’s training camp in Copenhagen. Ronaldo departed after tensions with coach Jorge Jesus became public, saying he would explain his reasons “in due course”.
Published On 3 Oct 20263 Oct 2026
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Cristiano Ronaldo withdrew from the Portugal squad, but Bruno Fernandes says forward remains team’s ‘greatest symbol’.
Published On 3 Oct 20263 Oct 2026
Portugal playmaker Bruno Fernandes said Cristiano Ronaldo remains the country’s greatest footballing icon despite walking out on the squad this week after finding out he would not start a match.
The 41-year-old superstar said on Wednesday that he had left the team after coach Jorge Jesus said he would not start against Denmark in the Nations League, a match Portugal won 4-2 without him.
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The former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker’s future with the national team, for whom he is the leading goalscorer and most capped player, is in doubt after his walkout.
“Regarding Cristiano, I had a conversation with him, and what I told him, and what I repeat here, is this – the most important thing is that, regardless of what happens, Cristiano Ronaldo will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team, of our football, and of the country, for what he has done not only in Portugal but throughout the world,” Fernandes told reporters on Saturday.
Manchester United midfielder Fernandes called for unity after a tumultuous few days in which Portugal fans’ opinions have been split over Ronaldo’s decision.
“He has a reserved place not only among the best of all time, but also in the hearts of all Portuguese people and the most important thing is that we stop dividing things,” said Fernandes.
“There are no divisions in the national team, it is one and will remain so, despite any noise that may come from outside…
“We are outside of this controversy, but what I ask is that the country does not divide itself, does not make choices, that it respects all sides, but, at the same time, Cris is and will be the biggest icon of our national team, he deserves everyone’s respect, regardless of who likes him more or (who likes him) less.”
Portugal beat Norway and Denmark away from home without Ronaldo starting and face Norway again on Sunday.
Coach Jesus said Ronaldo was a “symbol of Portugal” and said there would be time to speak about him after Sunday’s game in Porto.
“I’m going to focus on the team, on the opponent which is Norway, one of the five best teams in Europe. That’s the problem right now,” said the 72-year-old coach.
NEW YORK: Family was at the heart of Alexander Zverev’s US Open triumph on Sunday as the German saluted the members of his inner circle and paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother for refusing to let diabetes define his future.
The top seed beat American Ben Shelton 6-3 7-6(2) 5-7 6-2 at Flushing Meadows to finish a spectacular year at the Grand Slams in which he proved his doubters wrong by going from perennial nearly man to two-time major champion.
Shortly after his victory, Zverev reserved special praise for his mother Irina, a former professional tennis player, and credited her with ensuring type 1 diabetes never limited his ambitions in life.
“When your 4-year-old son is diagnosed with diabetes and doctors in the office tell you that life and sports will be very limited for that child, it takes a very strong mother to say ‘my son will be whatever he wants to be’,” Zverev said.
“’If he wants to be a tennis player, he’ll be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he’ll do something else, but this illness will not define us’.
“I’m happy that we worked through it and we’re doing the things that we’re doing now. My mother is the most important and strongest person I know because it takes an unbelievably strong woman to do what she did.”
The 29-year-old thanked his team, which includes his father Alexander Zverev Sr and his brother Mischa, for their hard work that had delivered him another Grand Slam trophy to add to his Olympic gold medal from the Tokyo Games five years ago.
“We went almost 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now we’ve won two in a span of three months,” Zverev said.
“I think God has seen how hard we’ve worked, how much we’ve suffered, how much pain we went through and I think that 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before.”
SCARS OF 2020
Zverev had come agonizingly close to capturing his maiden Grand Slam title in New York in 2020, leading Dominic Thiem by two sets to none and later serving for the match in the fifth set before losing.
He finally won his first major crown at this year’s French Open after defeating Flavio Cobolli in five sets, and the German doubled his tally in New York despite making a shaky start to the fortnight.
He also reached the Wimbledon final this year, falling to Jannik Sinner in four sets.
“The scars of the 2020 (US Open) final, they disappeared after I won in Paris. I said at Wimbledon, though I lost in the final, I enjoyed the match … enjoyed playing on Center Court in front of an amazing crowd,” Zverev said.
“Before winning in Paris, I felt a lot of stress all the time, because there was always a question mark. ‘Will I ever win one?’ Now it’s more of a joy to play those kinds of finals.”
With Sinner sidelined by a knee injury and Carlos Alcaraz having just returned from a wrist problem, Zverev reluctantly accepted that he was the man to beat in men’s tennis after a strong finish to the Grand Slam season.
“Four or five months ago, when both of them were healthy, I wasn’t. I was losing to Jannik all the time,” he added.
“So if everyone is healthy, Jannik is still ahead. It’s as simple as that.”