Cristiano Ronaldo has been provisionally suspended by the Portuguese Football Federation after walking out on the national team, with the FPF opening urgent disciplinary proceedings that could see the 41-year-old banned for up to six months.
The federation confirmed the move on Saturday, announcing that disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Ronaldo following a decision by its non-professional section on October 9, with the case sent to the FPF's Disciplinary Investigation Committee the next day. Proceedings will be given urgent status, with all publicity excluded until the investigation concludes.
"Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Cristiano Ronaldo, by decision of the non-professional section, on October 9, with the objective of ascertaining the potential disciplinary relevance of the facts reported on October 7," the FPF said in a statement reported by Lisbon newspaper A Bola.
Suspension in two stages
According to the federation, Ronaldo had initially been subject to an automatic preventive suspension, after which a second, non-automatic preventive suspension was ordered while the investigation runs its course. FPF regulations state that a player who abandons national team activities without justification faces a suspension of between one and six months, potentially accompanied by a fine — although a full and unreserved confession can lead to a reduction of the penalty.
The news was first reported by walkout-media-reports-say-2026-10-10/">Reuters and Sky Sports on Saturday, with Reuters noting it had contacted the federation for comment.
The walkout that started it all
The crisis traces back to September 27, when Ronaldo was left as an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win away to Norway. The 41-year-old — who has scored a record 146 goals in 234 caps for his country — later revealed that an assistant coach had told him he would play around 30 minutes after warming up during the match. He never came on.
After the final whistle in Oslo, an angry Ronaldo did not acknowledge the travelling supporters, instead heading straight down the tunnel. Three days later, on September 30, he left Portugal's training camp in Copenhagen after learning he would not start the following day's Nations League match against Denmark.
In a near-2,000-word statement released earlier this week, Ronaldo said he withdrew from the squad after a "breach of trust" between him and head coach Jorge Jesus, accusing the coach of twice breaking his word — first over his promised minutes against Norway, then over a supposedly pre-approved script at a press conference before the Denmark game. The star forward also revealed that Jesus and federation president Pedro Proença had rushed to Copenhagen airport in an unsuccessful attempt to convince him to stay.
Apology without surrender
Crucially, Ronaldo apologised for his actions — to the fans in Oslo and to his teammates for leaving midway through the international window — and called on the federation to punish him without leniency. But he stopped well short of walking away from international football, insisting he will remain available for selection after serving any punishment, provided he stays fit and keeps playing at club level.
Jesus, for his part, left the door open after Portugal's win over Norway, telling reporters: "If he wants to, he'll return to the national team." Read our full coverage of that press conference in our earlier report on the walkout.
On the pitch, Portugal have coped without their captain, beating Denmark and Norway to sit top of Nations League Group A4 with four straight wins. And Ronaldo has kept scoring at club level, returning to Al-Nassr on Friday to net his 980th career goal in a 3-0 Saudi Pro League win over Diriyah.
What happens next?
The urgent classification means a decision is expected within weeks, potentially affecting Ronaldo's availability for Portugal's next Nations League fixtures in November. The proceedings will determine whether the walkout warrants the maximum six-month sanction or something lighter, given Ronaldo's apology and willingness to accept punishment.
Beyond the Final Whistle: The FPF had little choice — the rules are the rules, and a walkout cannot go unpunished however great the player. But this still feels like a crisis that could end with Ronaldo back in the squad rather than exiled from it: he apologised, asked to be punished, and says he wants to return. The real question now is whether the suspension that follows is a slap on the wrist or the beginning of the end of his Portugal story.
Is a 1-6 month ban fair punishment for Ronaldo's walkout, or should the FPF show leniency to their greatest ever player? Let us know in the comments.
