Cristiano Ronaldo returned to club play Friday with a goal, but the legendary Portugal striker might not be scoring — or suiting up — for his national team for a while.
Ronaldo was suspended Saturday by the Portuguese Football Federation amid “disciplinary proceedings” stemming from his decision this week to leave camp following a disagreement with manager Jorge Jesus over a lack of playing time in last weekend’s Nations League win over Norway.
“Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, following a decision by the Non-Professional Section on October 9, 2026,” the federation said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo apologized to his Portugal teammates and fans and acknowledged that he deserved to be disciplined for leaving the team.
“If I am physically fit, playing for my club, scoring goals, I hope, that after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo said earlier this week on social media.
Still, he returned to his club team, Al-Nassr FC, in the Saudi Pro League, netting a goal in Friday’s 3-0 win over Diriyah.
It was his record-extending goal No. 980 for club and country in the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus superstar’s career — 49 ahead of Lionel Messi’s total.
The extent of Ronaldo’s suspension has not yet been determined by the FPF, but according to the federation’s disciplinary regulations, “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,’” ESPN reported.
Portugal’s next UEFA Nations League match will be against Denmark in mid-November.
