(The Turkish Post) – The Portuguese Football Federation suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for 30 days and fined him 255 euros, a penalty made public on Oct. 19 over his departure from the national team camp without permission during the October international window. The Ronaldo suspension applies to Portugal duty only.
The ruling is the first formal sanction against the 41-year-old forward by his own federation, and it leaves his place in Portugal’s November schedule in doubt. The federation said it hoped he would be back with the national team by then.
Ronaldo is Portugal’s captain and its most recognizable player, and any absence from the national team draws wide attention. The federation framed the Ronaldo suspension as an internal disciplinary step and said it preferred a short sanction.
Ronaldo suspension set at 30 days
The federation’s disciplinary board found Ronaldo liable for an unexcused absence from the national team camp. Under its regulations, a player who leaves a training camp or a match without justification faces a ban of one to six months and a fine, and the board set the Ronaldo suspension at the lower end of that range.
The 255 euro fine accompanies the ban. The case was handled by the board’s non-professional section, which treated the walkout as a disciplinary matter rather than one for the professional game.
Why Ronaldo left the Portugal camp
Ronaldo left the Portugal squad during the October window after a dispute over playing time with head coach Jorge Jesus. He had been told he would not start an upcoming match, and he departed the camp without the federation’s permission.
Ronaldo later apologized for leaving and proposed that he accept a sanction for it.
Federation prepares an appeal
The federation president described Ronaldo as “one of our key pieces” and made clear the body did not want a long absence. The federation was reported to be preparing an appeal to reduce the length of the ban.
The decision was reported on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20. Ronaldo had himself raised the idea of a penalty when he apologized, and the board’s choice of 30 days sits well below the six-month maximum the rules allow.
What the national team ban means
Portugal’s match against Denmark falls on Nov. 14. It was not immediately clear whether the 30 days would keep Ronaldo out of that game, or whether time already served under a provisional suspension would count toward the total.
The federation said it expected him to be available again for the national team in November. An appeal, if filed, could shorten the ban before the window opens.
Al-Nassr role unaffected
The Ronaldo suspension covers international duty and does not reach his club career. Ronaldo plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, which he joined in January 2023, and the ban has no effect on his appearances for the Riyadh club.
He scored his 980th career goal this month and is chasing 1,000 career goals, a total no player in men’s football has reached. Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United, and he signed a contract extension in 2025 that runs to 2027.
He finished as the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer in the 2023-24 season with a record 35 goals and led the scoring chart again the following season. For Al-Nassr he remains available for every fixture.
A record scorer for Portugal
Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football, with more than 140 goals for Portugal, and the most capped player in the men’s game. He has won the Ballon d’Or five times and the Champions League five times.
With Portugal he won the European Championship in 2016 and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. Born on the island of Madeira in 1985, he began his career at Sporting Lisbon before spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, and he has said that reaching 1,000 career goals is one of his remaining aims.
