Thierry Henry has leapt to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portugal captain's sudden departure from the national team camp in Denmark, insisting the controversy cannot and should not be allowed to overshadow a career of extraordinary achievement.

Speaking on RMC radio, the former Arsenal and France striker refused to let the incident define his view of Ronaldo.

"Do we judge an entire career based on this? Impossible. When I think of Ronaldo, I will not think about this matter, never in my life," he said.

The fallout began when head coach Jorge Jesus initially promised Ronaldo he would feature in the Nations League match against Norway, only to later announce the 41-year-old would not play in the subsequent fixture against Denmark.

Ronaldo left the camp, and when Jesus and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca attempted to persuade him to return at Copenhagen Airport, he refused.

Ronaldo has since said he will reveal the full truth about his reasons for leaving when the time is right.

Henry was careful to draw a distinction between specific incidents and the broader picture of a career.

"If it were about my mother or my father, it would be the same," he said, noting that any past criticism of Ronaldo had always been aimed at particular moments rather than the man or his legacy.

"They have to solve their problems themselves, as we have our problems in France," he added.

The Frenchman was emphatic when it came to Ronaldo's standing in the game.

"If we are talking about the legend, nothing can be said. What he represents for football is exceptional. We all praised his effort at the World Cup, and his next participation was supposed to be his last. And if it ends this way," he said.

Henry said what has always impressed him most about Ronaldo goes beyond the goals and the records.

"What I like to emphasise is his personality, the way he deals with football, his obsession with the game and with records and his desire to be the best, as well as his body, which has become in better condition than it was when he started his career. Without this obsession, we would not have known this player. We have lived through exceptional moments with him," he said.

He concluded with a tribute to both of the game's defining figures of the modern era.

"I have great respect for Ronaldo, as I do for Messi and for all the players who have kept themselves at the top," Henry said.

Ronaldo is currently chasing the milestone of 1,000 career goals, with his future involvement in the national team now in doubt following the Copenhagen episode.