Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has been provisionally suspended by his national team, the Portuguese Football Federation said on Saturday. The move follows his walkout from camp during the just-completed international break, which came after a miscommunication with head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo had earlier said he deserved to be disciplined.
The federation has opened disciplinary proceedings against the 41-year-old striker. Ronaldo has since gone back to his club, Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he scored in a 3-0 victory over Diriyah on Friday.
Dispute over a Nations League substitute role
In a letter revealed this week, Ronaldo said Jesus told him he would be used as a substitute in the Nations League match against Norway. He warmed up along the sideline but did not get any playing time. Before the next game, against Denmark, he left camp after notifying the federation that he was leaving.
Federation cites its decision and possible penalties
The federation said in a statement that proceedings had been started “following a decision by the Non-Professional Section on October 9, 2026.” According to reports, its regulations call for a suspension of between one month and six months for a player who “abandons” national team activity.
Ronaldo admitted that leaving camp was not the best way to handle the situation. He also said Jesus had “broke his word” on more than one occasion. “I owe my national team teammates an apology for leaving the training camp,” he said. “The responsibility is exclusively mine.”
Ronaldo says he is open to punishment
Ronaldo, who has just played in his sixth World Cup for Portugal, said he is open to discipline. He argued that the punishment should not include any mitigating circumstances. “I am not just any player; I am the captain of the team, and that constitutes an aggravating factor,” he said.
Ronaldo has played 234 matches for his national team and scored 146 goals. He said he still wants to play for Portugal in the future. The team has Nations League matches scheduled against Denmark and Wales next month.
