Portugal suspend Ronaldo after he walks out on national team in Jorge Jesus dispute

The Portuguese football federation has suspended Cristiano Ronaldo and initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against him after the 41-year-old walked out of the national team camp during the international window, the federation confirmed on Saturday.

Ronaldo’s departure followed a dispute with new head coach Jorge Jesus over playing time. During the games Ronaldo missed or watched from the bench, Portugal won all three matches, with replacement striker Goncalo Ramos taking full advantage by scoring three times.

The federation stated that the case has been referred to its disciplinary investigation committee and that its findings will remain confidential until a conclusion is reached.

Ronaldo addressed the situation directly in a lengthy post to his 679 million Instagram followers at the end of the international break. He called on Jesus to publicly acknowledge a mistake — specifically, asking Ronaldo to warm up on the touchline during the match against Norway before ultimately not bringing him on. Jesus declined to admit any error.

In the same post, Ronaldo acknowledged he expected a suspension under federation rules but told his supporters to look forward, writing that “we will have one or more farewell matches.”

The episode marks a dramatic deterioration in Ronaldo’s relationship with the national side under Jesus, who replaced Roberto Martínez earlier this year. With Ramos now firmly established as Portugal’s first-choice striker and Ronaldo’s international future in serious doubt, the disciplinary process will determine what, if any, role remains for the country’s all-time leading scorer.