Ronaldo handed 30-day ban and €255 fine after leaving Portugal camp, but he’ll be back for November

PTC Web Desk:  Cristiano Ronaldo has been punished for abandoning the Portugal squad, but the penalty is unlikely to keep him out of the team’s next big game.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) confirmed on Monday that the forward has received a 30-day suspension and a €255 (about $285) fine. The governing body described the sanction as “adequate and sufficient.”

The ban had effectively been running since early October, when Ronaldo was provisionally suspended. The federation counts it from October 1, the day Portugal played Denmark. About 19 days have already passed, so he is expected to be free to play when Portugal face Denmark again in the Nations League on November 14.

Why the penalty was kept light

According to the FPF, Ronaldo did not contest the charges. He submitted a formal statement on Friday accepting the facts behind them. That admission, along with his spotless disciplinary history, worked in his favour. The €255 fine is the highest the federation could impose once those mitigating factors were taken into account.

Ronaldo is entitled to appeal, though that seems unlikely. He had already apologised publicly and said he expected to face consequences. He had not responded to the latest announcement at the time of writing.

How the dispute started

The trouble began during the recent Nations League window. Ronaldo started in Portugal’s opening win over Wales, but he stayed on the bench for the victory in Norway on September 27 and did not get on the pitch. He then accused head coach Jorge Jesus of going back on an agreement that he would play, and he left the camp.

Portugal coped without him. The team beat Denmark and then Norway a second time to book a place in the quarterfinals.

Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, on Portugal’s island of Madeira. He grew up in a modest family and football was his way out. At 12 he joined Sporting Lisbon’s academy and by 18 Manchester United had signed him after a standout friendly against them.

At Old Trafford, he turned from a flashy winger into a world-class scorer. He won three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League, and he took his first Ballon d’Or that same year.

In 2009, Real Madrid paid a then-record fee for him. Over nine seasons he scored more than 450 goals, won four more Champions League trophies, and became the club’s all-time leading scorer. He later added league titles at Juventus and returned briefly to Manchester United before joining Saudi club Al Nassr in 2023.

For Portugal, his numbers are unmatched. He is the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer and holds the record for most appearances. His biggest moment came at Euro 2016, when Portugal won their first major trophy. He added a Nations League title in 2019.

Off the pitch, he is famous for his discipline, fitness and relentless work ethic. He is also one of the most followed people on social media and a global brand in his own right.

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