In Lisbon, Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal’s national-team camp has moved from a dressing-room dispute to a formal disciplinary case. The Portugal captain has received a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine after leaving the squad during the most recent international window, although the timing means the sanction is not expected to prevent him from playing in November if selected.
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The Portuguese Football Federation’s non-professional disciplinary section found Ronaldo guilty of a deliberate breach under Article 160(1) of its disciplinary regulations. It imposed a 30-day ban, calculated from 30 September, the day he left the delegation, plus a fine of 2.5 accounting units, amounting to €255.
Portugal’s next international gathering is not until November. The national side are scheduled to face Wales in the Nations League on 14 November, by which time the 30-day period will have elapsed. Ronaldo can therefore be available should he receive a call-up.
The forward has accepted that walking out of the camp was wrong. In a lengthy social-media statement published days after the incident, he apologised to supporters and teammates and said his conduct deserved punishment. At the same time, he accused Jorge Jesus of failing to honour an understanding between them.
Ronaldo said a document had been prepared containing eight points for Jesus to address at the press conference that preceded his exit. In Ronaldo’s account, those matters were not raised, while the coach’s public remarks carried an excessively authoritative tone. He did not name Jesus directly, but made clear that their relationship had broken down. He also insisted that he wants to return to the Portugal squad.
Two weeks earlier, Ronaldo had already said he remained at the national team’s disposal, while arguing that the coach had damaged the trust between them.
From Saudi partnership to Portugal tension
The strain is a sharp turn from the pair’s recent history in Saudi Arabia. Jesus joined Al-Nassr from Al-Hilal for the 2025-26 season, pursuing the Saudi title with Ronaldo’s club. Ronaldo was a regular starter and a prolific scorer during a successful league campaign, and their working relationship was seen as one reason Jesus was chosen to replace Roberto Martínez as Portugal coach.
Jesus signalled from his unveiling that Ronaldo’s status would not determine selection. He praised the veteran forward and said he counted on him, but stressed that decisions would be made for the collective and on performance.
The first Portugal camp under the new coach initially appeared calm. Ronaldo handled media duties alongside Jesus before the Wales match, then stayed to watch the coach’s full press conference after completing his own answers. Jesus again spoke warmly about the forward while underlining that every player needed to perform to earn a place.
Ronaldo started Jesus’s first match in charge of Portugal, a victory over Wales, and played 67 minutes. Gonçalo Ramos later became central to the selection debate, scoring the decisive goal in a win after Ronaldo had gone through a warm-up with the substitutes but did not enter the match.
The issue intensified after Ronaldo was named among the replacements against Denmark, with Ramos selected ahead of him, as Jesus had previously indicated might happen. There was then disagreement over Ronaldo’s potential use late in the game.
At a subsequent press conference, Jesus was repeatedly asked about Ronaldo, the Norway fixture and their relationship. The coach denied that there was a dispute, saying he had intended to use Ronaldo for roughly 20 to 30 minutes against Norway before the flow of the match changed his plan. He said his only mistake was sending the number seven out to warm up immediately after half-time.
Jesus nevertheless restated that the coach alone decides how players are used, regardless of Ronaldo’s standing in the national side. Shortly after that press conference, Ronaldo left Parken Stadium before training began and announced that he was leaving the squad, promising a fuller explanation later.
The departure surprised observers because Jesus had said Ronaldo would train normally with the group. The coach had also indicated that Ramos was likely to start again.
Ronaldo’s absence from the first session after the disputed match had already prompted speculation. The president of the Portuguese Football Federation travelled to the team base the following day and met Ronaldo and Jesus in an effort to ease the situation. That meeting was described as constructive, but it did not prevent Ronaldo’s eventual departure.
Portugal went on to win all four matches of the sequence without their captain, against Wales, Denmark and Norway twice. Following the fourth game, at the Estádio do Dragão, Jesus said Ronaldo remained welcome to return. He rejected suggestions that he had promised an apology and again emphasised his authority over team selection.
