Ronaldo says he will not retire and asks Portugal to punish him after leaving Nations League camp
Cristiano Ronaldo said on 6 October 2026 that he is not retiring from international football but believes he should be punished after walking out of Portugal's Nations League camp over a “breach of the coach's trust”. He made the comment in a lengthy statement after leaving the squad following selection decisions that preceded his departure.
The 41-year-old captain, who plays for Al-Nassr, has scored 146 goals in 234 Portugal appearances, figures the article describes as world records, and was part of the sides that won Euro 2016 and the Nations League twice. He left the camp after being an unused substitute against Norway and then learning he would not start against Denmark, prompting the departure that he now says requires consequences.
Ronaldo said he should be held accountable for his actions and asked the national federation to determine the sanction. "The Portuguese Football Federation must assess the consequences of my actions and punish me for them. I believe the punishment should not be reduced," Ronaldo said. "I have already apologised, but I know that actions have consequences."
Portugal manager Jorge Jesus said on Sunday that the door was still open for Ronaldo to play for the country's national team. The manager’s comment leaves the possibility of Ronaldo returning to selection dependent on how the federation addresses the matter.
Ronaldo stated he wishes to continue with Portugal if conditions allow and specified what those conditions would be. He said, provided he was "physically fit, playing with my team, and hopefully scoring goals", he would like to continue to play international football and added: "After my suspension period ends, I will be available, as I always have been, to compete and win with our national team."
The next steps now rest with the Portuguese Football Federation to assess and impose any punishment, and Ronaldo has confirmed he will be available for selection once any suspension period concludes.
