“Betrayal,” Ronaldo’s sister Elma reacts as CR7 quits Portugal camp

Abdullateef Fowewe

Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest sister, Elma Aveiro, has weighed into the fallout from his abrupt exit from Portugal’s national team camp with a pointed Instagram message about “betrayal” and karma, as the Portuguese captain vowed to explain his decision “in time.”

Amid a wave of family and fan support for Ronaldo, Elma shared and endorsed a message on her Instagram story that included the line: “Betrayal is a dish best served cold, and what goes around comes around. The only way is the way forward.”

In other posts, she went further, backing a viral text that accused the Portuguese public and media of ingratitude toward her brother, writing, “Everything has been said,” and adding prayer-hand emojis to signal her full agreement.

Her comments came after Ronaldo, 41, announced he was leaving the squad’s training base in Copenhagen following a press conference by head coach Jorge Jesus and a meeting with Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença.

Ronaldo confirmed his departure in an Instagram statement on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, saying, “After the press conference of the national team, and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team training camp. In time, I will tell all the Portuguese the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave.”

He left the squad as it prepared for a UEFA Nations League match against Denmark, with the team continuing preparations with 24 players.

The drama unfolded after Jesus told reporters he would not start Ronaldo against Denmark, despite earlier indications the forward might feature.

Jesus acknowledged there had been tension, saying he had initially planned to use Ronaldo more but changed his mind “because of the circumstances of the match.”

Ronaldo had missed Portugal’s previous game against Norway and was not in the starting lineup, fueling speculation of a rift that the coach initially tried to downplay before effectively confirming the striker’s reduced role.

His sudden departure has sparked intense debate in Portugal over his international future, with some reports suggesting this could mark the end of his long career with the Seleção.