Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) after leaving an international camp last month.
In addition to the ban, Ronaldo will have to pay a fine of €255.
According to a ruling by the association’s disciplinary committee, part of the player’s suspension has already been served, as he had already been suspended.
Ronaldo, who now plays his club football for Saudi side Al-Nassr, began his punishment on 1 October, leaving 11 days left to serve. That means he could be available for the national team’s upcoming matches against Denmark on 14 November and Wales on 17 November.
‘Mitigating circumstances’
The ruling said Ronaldo had asked that “mitigating circumstances be taken into account,” in particular his “lack of any disciplinary record in the current season and the previous three seasons, provision of services of relevance to football, commendations for sporting merit and contribution to establishing the material truth.”
“With regard to the mitigating circumstances of providing services of relevance to football and commendations for sporting merit, the defendant Cristiano Ronaldo submitted his sporting CV, including the awards and recognitions he has received over the course of his career,” the document reads.
It adds that, in terms of “contribution to establishing the material truth,” the player referred to the statement published on his Instagram page on 6 October.
The ruling sets out in detail the sequence of events after Ronaldo left the training camp.
On 30 September, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star walked out of a camp before a training session at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
The player is said to have left without notifying anyone from the FPF or the squad in advance.
The document states that the player informed FPF President Pedro Proença of his decision by phone, saying that he did not feel in the right frame of mind to play.
“During the aforementioned telephone conversation, the defendant player informed the president of the FPF that he was not in an emotional condition to remain with the National Team at the training camp,” the disciplinary committee noted.
Media coverage
In assessing the case, the committee acknowledged Ronaldo’s services to football and his multiple awards. The body also took into account “his conduct after the events, in particular the remorse shown in the statement of 06.10.2026.”
Even though certain mitigating factors were recognised, there were also aggravating elements in the FPF’s view, notably the media coverage of the case and his role as team captain.