Portugal Suspends Cristiano Ronaldo After National Team Exit

The Portuguese Football Federation has provisionally suspended Cristiano Ronaldo and opened urgent disciplinary proceedings against the 41-year-old captain after he left Portugal's national team camp before a Nations League match against Denmark, following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus.

According to the Portuguese Football Federation, the case was sent to its disciplinary investigation committee after proceedings began Friday to assess the reported events. The federation said the matter received urgent status and Ronaldo was placed under a non-automatic preventive suspension.

The federation statement said, "Without prejudice to the automatic preventive suspension to which he was subject until the date of initiation, a non-automatic preventive suspension of the player was determined, and the proceedings were given urgent status," as reported by Portuguese media.

Ronaldo explained that his departure followed disagreements over his role in the squad. He said Jesus had planned for him to miss matches against Norway and Denmark to manage his fitness, but the situation changed before the Norway match.

"Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn't called on. The manager had broken his word to me," Ronaldo said.

The Al-Nassr forward apologized to teammates and supporters while saying he wanted the federation to apply any punishment resulting from his actions. He also said the suspension would not end his international career.

"The Portuguese Football Federation must assess the consequences of my actions and punish me for them. I believe the punishment should not be reduced," Ronaldo said.

"I have already apologized, but I know that actions have consequences," Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal, both records for the men's national team, according to BBC Sport and Sky Sports. He helped Portugal win Euro 2016 and the Nations League twice.

"After my suspension period ends, I will be available, as I always have been, to compete and win with our national team," Ronaldo said.

Jesus previously said there was no rift with his captain and that the door remained open for Ronaldo to return. The coach later addressed the public dispute after Ronaldo released a statement describing his version of events.

"I didn't read Cristiano's statement," Jesus said.

Ronaldo said he believed Jesus had failed to follow through on an agreement about how the situation would be explained publicly. He said he considered the matter a serious loss of trust.

"I owe an apology to my national team teammates for having left the camp... I apologise to the Portuguese people once again, but a broken word has, for me, a defining impact," Ronaldo said.

The federation's disciplinary regulations allow for a possible suspension of one month to six months and a financial penalty if a player's departure from national team duty is deemed unjustified. Ronaldo's case remains under investigation.