10/10/2026 11:13:00
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10/10 11:11 CDT Portugal suspends Ronaldo and initiates disciplinary
proceedings after walkout
Portugal suspends Ronaldo and initiates disciplinary proceedings after walkout
LISBON, Portugal (AP) --- The Portuguese Football Federation has suspended
Cristiano Ronaldo for walking out on the team and initiated disciplinary
proceedings.
The case has been referred to its disciplinary investigation committee and its
findings will remain confidential until its conclusions are reached, the
federation said in a statement Saturday.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo left the Portugal camp during the international window
in a dispute with new coach Jorge Jesus over his lack of playing time in the
Nations League.
In the three games Ronaldo was either an unused substitute or absent, Portugal
won, and his replacement Gonalo Ramos seized his chance by scoring three goals.
Ronaldo was involved only in Portugal's opening Nations League game, where he
was replaced by Ramos in a 1-0 win over Wales. He left the squad after watching
the second game from the substitutes' bench --- a 2-1 win in Norway --- and
Portugal showed no ill effects from his departure with wins over Denmark and
Norway to book a quarterfinal.
Ronaldo ended the international break with a long post to his 679 million
followers on Instagram, where he asked the Portugal coach to acknowledge a
mistake in asking him to warm up on the sidelines in Oslo and then not send him
on the field. Jesus did not acknowledge any mistake.
The star wrote that he expected a suspension under federation rules but
promised his fans "we will have one or more farewell matches."
Ronaldo could possibly face a harsh punishment for leaving the training camp.
The federation's disciplinary regulations say that any player who "abandons or
fails to appear" without justification at a training session, match or activity
of the national teams "shall be sanctioned with a suspension of one to six
months," in addition to a fine.
Ronaldo did tell the federation he was leaving, but it wasn't clear whether the
decision would be considered justified in accordance with the regulations.
"I have already apologized, but I know that actions must have consequences,"
Ronaldo wrote in his statement. "Anyone in football as I am knows that,
regardless of each person's status, the rules are the same for everyone."
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