Portugal provisionally suspend Cristiano Ronaldo after leaving squad in Copenhagen

Cristiano Ronaldo was provisionally suspended by the Portuguese Football Federation after leaving the national team in Copenhagen ahead of Portugal’s Nations League match with Denmark, the federation confirmed on 10 October 2026. The 41-year-old's departure prompted disciplinary action from the federation.

Ronaldo apologised to supporters on Tuesday while criticising Portugal coach Jorge Jesus and said he would serve any “suspension that is imposed” on him. He also gave his version of events to explain why he left the squad before the Denmark game.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, the FPF confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had been opened. “Without prejudice to the automatic preventive suspension to which ‌he was subject until the date of initiation, a non-automatic preventive suspension ​of the player was determined, and the proceedings were given urgent status,” the federation was quoted as saying.

Ronaldo set out the dispute that led to his departure from Copenhagen prior to Portugal’s Nations League match against Denmark last week. He said that Jorge Jesus had agreed a plan under which the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness.

Ronaldo said that on the day of the Norway game the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes. “Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called ​on,” Ronaldo said. “The manager had broken his ‌word to me.”

The federation has placed the case into urgent disciplinary proceedings and imposed a preventive suspension as described in its statement, with the matter now moving through the FPF's disciplinary process.