Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa: "Ronaldo? We must unite and win"

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa refused on Thursday to be drawn into the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and the national team, choosing instead to issue a rallying call for unity at a crucial moment for Portugal.

"I will not speak about that here [Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the squad's training camp]; what matters is what unites us," the former Portuguese President told reporters upon arriving at the Conference Centre on the island of La Toja, Galicia.

Marcelo highlighted that Portugal are facing "a crucial moment" and stressed that the focus must remain on the upcoming fixtures. "We have to win today, we have to win on Sunday. Therefore, we all need to be united for that to happen," he added.

His remarks come a day after Ronaldo walked out of the training base in Copenhagen, following a week overshadowed by debates over his role. The Portugal captain was left on the bench against Norway despite warming up for most of the second half, walking off the pitch visibly frustrated.

In the days that followed, he missed training sessions and ultimately parted ways with the national team camp. Ronaldo has since confirmed that he spoke with Pedro Proença before leaving, promising to explain the reasons behind his decision "in due course."