Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s training camp after days of tension with head coach Jorge Jesus, sparked by the decision to keep him on the bench against Norway and fuelled by the coach’s subsequent comments. Attempts to mediate by Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, proved unsuccessful: CR7 left the camp and flew out of Copenhagen on a private jet, offering his response in a brief Instagram post: “Goodbye, it was good while it lasted. In due course, I will tell all the Portuguese people the truth.”
The rift could bring his story with Portugal to a bitter end after more than twenty years, in a way that feels sadly consistent with the Ronaldo we have come to know. And given the timing, it is impossible not to compare it with the farewell celebration Argentina is preparing for Lionel Messi: a tribute match on October 6 at Buenos Aires’ Monumental stadium, a special jersey designed by adidas, and an entire Country ready to honour its number 10.
After almost two decades of comparing everything about Ronaldo and Messi, on and off the pitch, we are now witnessing two entirely different ways of closing an era. These final chapters also tell us something about great players and the bonds they build beyond the game. CR7’s ego has often loomed large, but now it seems to prevent him from accepting what time asks of even the greatest: stepping aside and allowing Portugal to move on without him. We explored this here.
Newcastle asked its fans to select a new club badge, and this is what they came up with. Meanwhile, David Alaba made a stylish appearance in Italy after signing with Udinese, and we spotted Hugo Ekitiké at Paris Fashion Week. On the subject of Paris, PSG have released a vinyl for the club’s Away jersey. Also, we fell in love with Italy’s new pre match jersey, while Gianluigi Donnarumma might have switched from adidas to Mizuno.
“Explore Every Thread” is a project conceived as a true call to curiosity: an invitation to explore every single detail that makes up Atalanta’s 2026/27 Home jersey, treating it as an object that goes far beyond the boundaries of the football pitch. Together with New Balance, nss sports selected five media outlets and five artists to reinterpret La Dea’s new Home kit through original perspectives, deconstructing—almost anatomically—an item that has become an undisputed staple of everyday life.
Italy has submitted its list of stadiums to host Euro 2032. Of the 14 grounds, the majority do not even exist yet. This is the full picture. We have also dedicated our first issue of The Take, nss sports’ newest column on Substack, to this matter. Give it a read and tell us what you think.
Jannik Sinner is expected to make his comeback in Shanghai after missing several months of action due to a knee injury. His situation has been scrutinised by the Italian media, who have made strong comments about his participation in official events such as the Monza Grand Prix and the Gucci show at Milan Fashion Week. We analysed the situation to better understand why this happened.
Do you remember the 2026 Winter Olympics? Well, this week our colleagues at nss edicola went inside the Scalo Romana student residence in Milano to find out what remains of the Olympic Village and what it’s like to live in one of Milan’s largest university housing projects.
Last weekend, we had the honour of witnessing the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in the Gulf of Naples. Here’s how we captured the boats, battling against the wind and waves in a challenge that saw the Prada Luna Rossa team triumph. See you next week.