Ronaldo provisionally suspended after Portugal walkout

Cristiano Ronaldo has been provisionally suspended by the Portuguese Football Federation after disciplinary proceedings were opened against the 41-year-old forward for leaving the national team camp during the October international break.

The federation announced Saturday that the case had been classified as urgent, with Ronaldo suspended pending a final decision on the punishment. No ruling has been issued on the length of any potential ban.

The Al-Nassr forward acknowledged his actions were wrong in a lengthy statement published earlier this week, apologizing to his teammates and Portuguese supporters while insisting he remained committed to representing his country.

Ronaldo also said he would accept the federation’s decision and return to international duty after serving any suspension.

“I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” he said.

The disciplinary case stems from Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen on Sept. 30, following tensions with coach Jorge Jesus over his playing time during the Nations League campaign.

Ronaldo was left on the bench throughout Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on Sept. 27 despite warming up during the match.

Three days later, Jesus indicated that the forward would not start against Denmark, prompting Ronaldo to leave the camp before the team completed preparations for the Oct. 1 fixture.

The forward subsequently accused Jesus of breaking his word after suggesting he would receive playing time against Norway. Ronaldo said he had prepared to enter the game after being informed he would play for approximately 30 minutes but was never introduced.

Jesus defended his selection decisions, describing them as tactical rather than related to Ronaldo’s fitness. He had previously coached the forward at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo also criticized the coach’s public explanation of the decision, saying it differed from what they had discussed privately. He said the breakdown in trust contributed to his decision to leave the squad.

In his statement Tuesday, Ronaldo accepted full responsibility for his departure and apologized for failing to acknowledge Portugal’s traveling supporters after the Norway match. He said his status as national team captain made his actions particularly serious and urged the federation to apply its disciplinary rules without giving him special treatment.

The Portuguese federation has not announced when the investigation will conclude or whether the provisional suspension will be followed by a longer ban.

Portugal continued its Nations League campaign without Ronaldo, beating Denmark 4-2 on Oct. 1 before defeating Norway 2-1 four days later. The results completed a perfect start to the group stage, with the defending champions winning all four of their matches and securing qualification for the quarterfinals with two games remaining.

Ronaldo featured in only one of Portugal’s four games during the international window. He had started the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Wales on Sept. 24 before being left unused against Norway.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains Portugal’s all-time leading scorer and appearance-maker, with 146 goals in 234 international matches. He also holds the men’s international records for both goals and appearances.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his international future, Ronaldo returned to club action Friday and scored in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League. The goal took his career tally to 980 official goals, leaving him 20 short of the 1,000-goal milestone he has publicly pursued.

Ronaldo had previously suggested that the 2026-27 season could be his last before retirement, although he has made clear that he does not intend to end his Portugal career through a ceremonial farewell.

DAILYSABAH