Forward Cristiano Ronaldo risks a suspension of between one and six months and a fine, for having left the Portuguese national team, according to the Disciplinary Regulations (RD) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
"The player who, having been regularly called up, leaves or unjustifiably fails to appear for training, a match or an activity of the national teams or related to the sporting representation of the FPF or of Portugal, is sanctioned with a suspension of one to six months and, additionally and if he is a professional player, with a fine of between 5 and 10 UC [between about 500 and 1.000 euros, with 102 euros per unit of account]", reads the respective regulation. The captain of the "quinas" team and of Al Nassr, aged 41, left the national team camp, when it was preparing for the Group A4 matches of the Nations League against Denmark, on Thursday, and Norway, on Sunday, after the wins against Wales (1-0) and the Norwegian team (2-1). "The absence or abandonment determines the automatic preventive suspension of the player under the terms provided for in this regulation", adds number two of article 160 of the FPF RD. Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 41, is the record holder for appearances (with 234), and goals for the Portuguese national team (146), having captained the "quinas" team in the triumphs at the 2016 European Championship and in the 2019 and 2025 editions of the Nations League. The former forward of Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus was a starter in the 1-0 home win against Wales, on the first matchday of Group A4 of the Nations League, having been an unused substitute in the win away to Norway (2-1). After this match, in Oslo, the Al Nassr player of the Saudi club left the pitch apparently dissatisfied, without joining his national team teammates in thanking the Portuguese fans. Last Tuesday, Ronaldo trained in the gym of the hotel hosting the national team, despite having been at the stadium that hosted the training session. After this episode, the FPF president, Pedro Proença, travelled to the Danish capital, instead of attending in Ponta Delgada, where he was supposed to watch the under-21 national team's match against Gibraltar, and today Ronaldo left the stadium, following the press conference previewing the match with Denmark, by head coach Jorge Jesus. The coach limited his answers to only two questions about the team captain, denying the existence of any case, admitting the player's dissatisfaction, for having done warm-up exercises in the match against Norway, without, however, having been used. "Ronaldo did not refuse to train. That was impossible. Today he will train", said Jorge Jesus, at the aforementioned press conference, which preceded the training session, without the forward. Jesus resorted to Ronaldo's "status" to admit a possible mistake, before announcing Gonçalo Ramos as a starter in Thursday's match, without committing himself to using Ronaldo. "In principle, it is Gonçalo Ramos who will play. I don't know whether Ronaldo will come on or not. I don't know what will happen tomorrow [Thursday] in the match. If I need him, he comes on, if I don't need him, he doesn't come on", stressed Jesus. In the preview of the match with the Danes, the 72-year-old coach also reaffirmed his authority: "Status does not give the right for players to be differentiated from others. Status is respect for their career. I always raise the question, the plan I outline with the player, but I am the one who decides. They know that. Those who have worked with me, they know, everyone knows, even the presidents know. At the club the president is in charge, in the team I am in charge. With the players it is the same".