Did a cup of coffee write the end of Ronaldo's saga with Portugal?

The image of Cristiano Ronaldo appearing at Malmö's stadium before one of the Portugal national team's training sessions took on particular significance, after the captain suddenly left his country's camp today, Wednesday, following rising tension over his relationship with coach Jorge Jesus.

Coffee cup in hand, Ronaldo had shown up at Malmö's stadium yesterday and walked a few steps onto the pitch before leaving. It may prove his last scene with the Portugal national team, with retirement from international football now a possibility.

"The Don" skipped group training yesterday. According to Portuguese newspaper "A Bola", he trained alone in the gym instead of working with his team-mates.

The crisis deepened when Jesus fronted the media today. He insisted Ronaldo had not refused to train and denied any problem between them, before stressing that he is the sole decision-maker in the national team, and that neither Ronaldo nor anyone else can change his ideas.

Those remarks came after reports of Ronaldo's anger over his non-participation in Sunday's 2-1 win against Norway, in the second round of the UEFA Nations League.

"The Don" played no part, not even from the substitutes' bench, and stayed away from training with his team-mates on Monday and Tuesday. Jesus had explained before the match that he was planning to bring him on, but that a start was unlikely.

When the final whistle blew in Oslo, Ronaldo went straight from the substitutes' bench to the tunnel. He did not join his team-mates in saluting the Portuguese fans who had attended the match.

Stung by Jesus's latest comments, the Al-Nassr star announced his departure from the Portugal camp. He promised to reveal "at the right time" the truth behind the reasons that prompted him to leave the national team, wishing his team-mates the best of luck.