The key facts

  • Rui Santos (CNN Portugal): Ronaldo does not want to return to the national team and feels betrayed.
  • Ronaldo left the camp on September 30 without coming on as a substitute in the match against Norway (which could have been his 235th cap).
  • On October 19, the FPF suspended him for 30 days (counted from September 30) and fined him 255 euros; Portugal won all 4 Nations League matches.

Ronaldo does not want to return to the national team

CNN Portugal journalist Rui Santos reported that Cristiano Ronaldo 'prefers not to be called up' for the upcoming matches of the Portugal national team. According to him, the player still holds a grudge against the federation's leadership: Ronaldo believes he was treated 'unfairly,' he 'feels betrayed' and is 'firmly convinced that the truth is on his side.'

Conflict with the federation

The standoff between the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and Ronaldo became public at the end of September. On the last day of the month, the 41-year-old forward unexpectedly left the national team's camp during a training gathering — his way of expressing displeasure over the match against Norway. That game could have been his 235th for the national team, but the captain remained on the bench: in the second half he warmed up for a long time along the touchline, yet never came on as a substitute.

Portugal wins without Ronaldo

The absence of the forward, who had recently brought little benefit to the team, did not negatively affect the Portuguese: Portugal finished four Nations League matches with four victories.

Reconciliation attempts and a lenient punishment

FPF president Pedro Proenca and head coach Jorge Jesus returned to the topic, declared their readiness for reconciliation and agreed to hold talks with the star. On October 19, the FPF announced the punishment: for leaving the camp without permission, Ronaldo was suspended from the national team for 30 days — the minimum possible term, with the count starting from September 30, meaning the player is effectively not suspended: the team will play their next matches on November 14 and 17 against Denmark and Wales. The player was also fined 255 euros — according to the outlet's calculations, a laughable sum given a salary of about 4 million euros per week at Al-Nassr. The lenient punishment became a subject of jokes in the media.

The resume as a mitigating factor

Another fact was subject to separate discussion: according to the 29-page FPF decision, Ronaldo asked that his merits in football be taken into account as a mitigating circumstance and even submitted 'a copy of his resume.' The disciplinary committee took into account his 'contribution to the development of football' and the 'remorse' he showed as mitigating factors.