SRINAGAR: Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a 30-day suspension and fined €255 by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving the national team’s training camp ahead of a match against Denmark.
The disciplinary action against the 41-year-old captain was announced on Monday. However, the suspension has been backdated to September 30, the day he left the camp, making him eligible for selection when Portugal next play on November 14.
The federation’s Disciplinary Council found Ronaldo guilty of an intentional disciplinary offence under Article 160(1) of its disciplinary regulations. The ruling imposed a 30-day ban and a fine of €255, equivalent to 2.5 disciplinary units.
The incident followed Ronaldo’s omission from Portugal’s starting line-up for a Nations League match against Norway on September 27, which Portugal won 2-1. Ronaldo said head coach Jorge Jesus had told him beforehand that he would play for around 30 minutes. Although he warmed up during the match, he was not brought on.
Tensions escalated when Jesus subsequently informed Ronaldo that he would not start against Denmark. The forward left the national team’s camp a day before the fixture in Copenhagen.
Portugal won the match against Denmark and the subsequent return fixture against Norway without Ronaldo, maintaining a perfect record through four matches and finishing the sequence at the top of their Nations League group.
In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram on October 6, Ronaldo accused Jesus of failing to honour his assurances but accepted responsibility for his departure. He apologised to his team-mates and urged the federation to impose a penalty, arguing that his position as captain should be treated as an aggravating factor.
Ronaldo and Jesus had previously worked together at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, where they won the Saudi Pro League in the 2025-26 season before Jesus took charge of Portugal’s national team.
Ronaldo has not announced his retirement from international football. He remains the leading goalscorer in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal. He also captained the country to the Euro 2016 title and two Nations League triumphs.
