Cristiano Ronaldo has been provisionally suspended by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) after leaving his country's international camp last month. The 41-year-old captain departed Portugal's Nations League squad in September after being an unused substitute against Norway and subsequently learning he would not start against Denmark.
In a statement, Ronaldo later explained his departure, citing that Portugal coach Jorge Jesus had twice "broken his word," which he described as an "absolute breach of trust." The FPF confirmed in a statement on October 9 that a "provisional suspension" had been issued and that the case was marked as "urgent."
According to FPF rules, any player who fails to appear for or walks out on international duties faces a ban ranging from one to six months, in addition to a fine. Pedro Proenca, president of the FPF, stated that "This is a time for calm and composure. We are all sitting down together at the table. There is a strong desire to have our captain back with us. There will be a normal disciplinary process."
Ronaldo has accepted accountability and apologized to his teammates and fans for his actions, acknowledging that he deserved to be punished. He has also confirmed he will not retire from international football, continuing his pursuit of 1000 career goals.
Throughout his international career, Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal, setting men's world records for both categories. He was instrumental in Portugal's victories in Euro 2016 and the Nations League twice. Although he considered retiring from international football after the World Cup last summer, he ultimately chose to continue.
Ronaldo returned to club action recently, scoring his 980th career goal in a 3-0 win for Al-Nassr over Diriyah Club.