According to the Daily Mail, Ronaldo left the national team training camp after being left unused as a substitute for Portugal for the first time in 18 years.

Messi will make his final appearance for Argentina next week in Buenos Aires. The friendly match against Benin has been named "The Last Tango" and is an opportunity for Argentina to pay tribute to one of the greatest players of all time.

It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will receive a similar farewell for his national team career. Messi seems to have calmly accepted the decision and is aware of the limitations of age; Ronaldo, on the other hand, is angrily resisting the passage of time.

It's hard not to feel sad seeing the 41-year-old Ronaldo leave the Portugal training camp. He had started in the previous match against Wales, but head coach Jorge Jesus did not bring him on as a substitute in Portugal's UEFA Nations League victory over Norway in Oslo on Sunday. This was the first time in 18 years that Ronaldo had not featured in a national team match.

Subsequently, Ronaldo missed training on Tuesday and then had dinner with Jesus to try to resolve their differences. He has made 234 appearances for Portugal, scoring 146 goals. Exiting the national team in this manner, especially at this stage of his career, suggests that it may be nearing its end.

In fact, Portugal has always needed stronger leadership. Many believe that Ronaldo has not deserved a starting spot in the national team for at least five years. He has become an example of an aging star, sustained only by his personal image and past glories.

He now seems to be playing only for himself. Ronaldo has scored 879 career goals and hopes to be the first officially confirmed player to reach 1,000 goals. Pelé, Romário, and others have claimed to reach this milestone, but their statistics largely rely on unofficial matches, including exhibition games.

It now appears that Ronaldo may only be able to continue scoring goals for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. This team seems to have supported his self-esteem since signing him in December 2022. Shortly before that, he left Manchester United, claiming he was betrayed by the club that made him famous in English football.

Former Portugal coach Roberto Martínez lacked the courage and willingness to confront this struggle. He was swayed by Ronaldo's influence, insisting on heavily relying on him in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the recent World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Portugal had incredibly talented squads in both tournaments, but Ronaldo's inclusion always sparked huge controversy and divided opinions. He played on reputation, not form. Portugal suffered in both competitions. In the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Portugal was one of the favorites, but made a poor start and was ultimately eliminated by Spain in the Round of 16.

Ronaldo said at the time that he was considering retiring from the national team, but ultimately decided to continue playing. He was a great player at his peak, second only to Messi among this generation of superstars, but he hasn't performed at that level for a long time, and now even his past reputation seems unable to save him.

He has become the type of person who refuses to leave the stage, thus damaging his own legacy. Watching him play now is like watching a boxer who has taken too many punches. Those who genuinely care for him wish he would stop, but Ronaldo cannot.

Throughout his career, he has been a model professional, dedicating himself entirely to the sport, but now he cannot let go. He is addicted to the game and the spotlight, and he cannot accept it when a coach says "no." As soon as Jesus did that, Ronaldo left the training camp.

This moment was long overdue. Many were surprised that forward Gonçalo Ramos — who now plays for AC Milan — wasn't Portugal's starting striker in this year's World Cup, but Jesus started him against Norway, and Ramos repaid that decision with the winning goal.

Jesus has already signaled that Ramos, not Ronaldo, will be Portugal's starting striker in the UEFA Nations League match against Denmark in Copenhagen tonight. This seems too difficult for Ronaldo to accept. Time catches up with everyone, no matter how great they are. Messi admitted this after the World Cup final. One can only hope that Ronaldo will also accept reality at some point and stop further diminishing his legacy.

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