Ronaldo suspended by Portuguese federation after dramatic departure from national team

Cristiano Ronaldo is under an automatic suspension imposed by the Portuguese Football Federation after leaving the national team without authorization on September 27. The disciplinary commission must still rule on the exact length of the sanction, which could range from one to six months.

It all stemmed from a UEFA Nations League match between Portugal and Norway. Ronaldo, who expected to come on as a substitute according to what manager Jorge Jesus had allegedly promised him, ultimately remained on the bench. The 41-year-old striker took this as an affront and decided to return to Saudi Arabia, breaking away from the squad without prior agreement. He subsequently posted a lengthy statement on Instagram to present his version of events.

The Portuguese federation’s regulations are unambiguous on this type of behavior: unauthorized departure by a player triggers an automatic suspension. The body applied this rule without delay, as reported by the Mirror on Friday. The disciplinary commission will take into account all elements of the case, including the apologies presented by Ronaldo, before issuing its final verdict.

The stakes are concrete: if the suspension exceeds one month, Ronaldo would automatically miss Portugal’s final two UEFA Nations League group-stage matches in November, against Denmark on the 14th and Wales on the 17th. Jorge Jesus, meanwhile, will have to deal with this uncertainty as these fixtures approach.

The disciplinary commission has not yet set a date for its hearing. Ronaldo will have the opportunity to defend himself before its members before the final sanction is handed down.