Cristiano Ronaldo Suspended for 30 Days and Fined €255 by Portugal’s Federation After National Team Walkout
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for 30 days and fined him €255 (about $286) after finding that the 41-year-old captain deliberately left the national team camp without permission during the September international window.
The FPF disciplinary council upheld the charge under Article 160(1) of the federation’s regulations, convicting Ronaldo of intentionally abandoning the squad on one occasion. The punishment was announced on October 20.
Why He Left the Camp
The dispute began when Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Portugal’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League win over Norway on September 27. The Al-Nassr forward said head coach Jorge Jesus had promised him roughly half an hour on the pitch; Jesus asked him to warm up during the match but never sent him on.
Tensions boiled over days later when Ronaldo learned he would not start the Nations League fixture against Denmark in Copenhagen. He left the team base on September 30, a day before the match, and later accused the coach of breaking his word — a claim he described as a serious breach of trust. In a public statement in early October, Ronaldo apologised to his teammates and supporters and said he was prepared to accept whatever punishment the federation imposed.
A Ban That Costs Him Nothing
The FPF backdated the suspension to September 30, the day he left camp — so with no Portugal fixtures scheduled in October, the 30-day ban runs through a month with no international matches at all. By the time Portugal returns to action against Denmark on November 14 and Wales on November 17, the suspension will have lapsed, leaving him eligible for selection if Jesus chooses to recall him.
The €255 fine is equally symbolic. It is the maximum allowable amount under the non-professional disciplinary tier — 2.5 “Units of Account” — and represents a fraction of a minute of the earnings from Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr contract. The disciplinary council noted his prior clean record, his public apology and his sporting merits as mitigating factors.
Portugal won both the Denmark fixture and the rematch with Norway without their captain, sitting atop their Nations League group with a perfect record from four matches.
Sources: BBC / AFP (20 October 2026); 7msport (20 October 2026); businesstoday (20 October 2026).