Portugal's football federation suspends Cristiano Ronaldo pending disciplinary proceedings
The Portuguese Football Federation opened disciplinary proceedings on Saturday after Ronaldo left the national team camp in a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus. The 41-year-old has been provisionally suspended while the case goes to investigation.
Provisional suspension
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has opened disciplinary proceedings against Cristiano Ronaldo and provisionally suspended him, the federation announced on Saturday, 10 October 2026. Its Disciplinary Council took the decision on Friday, according to SAPO, and the suspension applies on top of an automatic suspension that already covered the 41-year-old. The federation gave the case urgent status and sent the file on 10 October to its Disciplinary Instruction Committee. The statement excludes publicity until the investigation ends and does not say which specific facts prompted the case, only that they were reported on 7 October. RTBF reports, citing Portuguese media, that under federation rules a player who misses a training session, match or national team activity risks a suspension of one to six months.
The walkout and the Norway match
Ronaldo left the national team camp on 30 September, a date given by ANSA, RTBF and El País, while adevarul.ro gives 1 October. RTBF reports that the Nations League match against Denmark in Copenhagen was scheduled for the following day, and that Ronaldo left furious at learning he would not start. His frustration had surfaced earlier, when he was left on the bench for the match against Norway in Oslo on 27 September, a game El País gives as 1-2 and adevarul.ro as 2-1. Portugal have won all four of their Nations League matches, the last three without Ronaldo, and have qualified for the quarter-finals. Adevarul.ro reports that Jesus and federation president Pedro Proença went to the airport to try to persuade him to stay, without success.
- Portugal play Norway in Oslo, and Ronaldo is left on the bench
- Ronaldo leaves the national team camp
- Federation disciplinary council opens proceedings and provisionally suspends Ronaldo
- Federation announces the proceedings and sends the file to the instruction committee
- Portugal host Denmark in the Nations League
Ronaldo's account and the coach dispute
Ronaldo apologised to Portuguese supporters and his teammates, and said he would serve any suspension imposed on him. He also sharply criticised Jesus, the 72-year-old coach he had worked with at Saudi club Al-Nassr last season, when they won the league together. In his account, Jesus had agreed a plan under which Ronaldo would miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness, but on the day of the Norway game the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes. Ronaldo described the wait that followed in his own words.
Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn't called on.
Ronaldo accused the coach of having "broken his word" twice, first by not bringing him on against Norway and then by not following notes approved in advance to close the controversy at a press conference. Jesus responded the day before the suspension, saying there was no conflict between him and Ronaldo, while acknowledging the player was disappointed not to play against Norway.
When you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don't go on the pitch... Nobody is happy.
What happens next
The file now sits with the Disciplinary Instruction Committee, and the sources give no date for a final decision or any sanction. Ronaldo has said he will return to the national team after serving the suspension. SRF reports that his return appears to depend on Jesus being replaced. RTBF reports that Portugal next play Denmark at home on 14 November.
