Ronaldo left Portugal's camp over a broken promise. He has published the eight points he says the coach agreed to read out.

Six days after walking out of Portugal's training camp, Cristiano Ronaldo published a statement of nearly 2,000 words explaining why. He said the head coach, Jorge Jesus, had broken his word twice, apologised to his teammates and to Portugal, and asked to be punished. He intends to keep playing. 12

Ronaldo says he and Jesus had agreed a plan that kept him out of the Nations League games in Norway on 27 September and in Denmark four days later. On the day of the Norway match, he says, Jesus asked him to be ready for 30 minutes. He warmed up from half-time, stayed on the bench, and skipped his salute to Portugal's fans. 23

A meeting followed, and Ronaldo says Jesus agreed to clear the air at his next press conference. Ronaldo published the eight points he had approved. The sixth read: "I made a mistake by putting someone of the stature of Pelé or Maradona on to warm up and then not putting him in the game." The eighth covered the fans: "He is the player who gives the most autographs, takes the most selfies." Ronaldo says the press conference went its own way, and called that the second broken promise. 24

Portugal coped without him. They beat Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen, where Rasmus Højlund scored and copied Ronaldo's "Siu" celebration, then Norway 2-1 in Porto through Gonçalo Ramos, his replacement. Four group games, four wins. 56

Ronaldo is 41, with 146 goals in 234 caps, both world records. He weighed retirement after Portugal's last-16 exit to Spain at the World Cup, and the federation's president, Pedro Proença, changed his mind on the flight home. 12 He wrote that he thought of competing on the day he was told of his father's death, and stayed at camp to play on. 2

He says he will be available once any suspension ends, and Jesus has said the door stays open. Portugal's games against Denmark and Wales in November are the first chance to call him up. 2