Cristiano Ronaldo axed by Portugal after Jorge Jesus feud

10 Oct 2026 14:02 BST
4 min read

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The Portuguese federation has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Cristiano Ronaldo and provisionally suspended him.

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The 41-year-old has courted controversy after falling out with manager Jorge Jesus. Two games into the recent four-game international break, Ronaldo abruptly left the Portugal camp to return to his club, Al-Nassr.

The reason behind this drastic decision was that the national team captain felt humiliated by Jesus, with whom he had won the Saudi Pro League last season.

Ronaldo started on the bench in Portugal’s second game of the break against Norway, and despite warming up extensively, he remained an unused substitute throughout the fixture.

The fact that Jesus made him warm up without playing him was perceived as disrespectful by the legendary forward, so he decided to pack his bags and leave. Earlier this week, Ronaldo sought to explain his actions with an utterly bizarre statement.

Ronaldo falls out with Jesus

The former Man Utd star claimed that Jesus had broken his word to him. Ahead of the break, the manager had told Ronaldo that he would play in the first and last of the four games.

However, ahead of Norway, the 72-year-old asked him if he could play 30 minutes, to which Ronaldo responded in the affirmative. When he didn’t get on the pitch, the captain felt betrayed.

Attempts at resolving the issue ahead of the third game versus Denmark yielded no results. Ronaldo wanted Jesus to publicly apologise at his pre-match press conference and even asked him to read out a remarkable statement. The manager refused.

This is what Ronaldo wanted Jesus to say: “I [Jorge Jesus] think it’s important, especially since it’s the truth, to clarify a few things before talking about Denmark:

“1. I personally proposed a plan to Cristiano, without anyone else, for him this sporting season with the National Team. It was a long and very good conversation.

“2. I know how much he lives and loves the National Team and the weight he has in the world, even more so, the weight and positive influence he has had on the National Team for 24 consecutive years.

“3. The plan I proposed to Cristiano was accepted.

“4. He never questioned my choices. He was exemplary, loyal, and professional.

“5. The Norway game wasn’t included in the plan I had drawn up for him. However, I felt he had recovered physically from the first game and I told him I might have to use him. Cristiano agreed.

“6. I made a mistake by having someone of Pele or Maradona’s stature warm up only to then not put him in the game. If it were today, I wouldn’t do it.

“7. To conclude the matter: I want Cristiano in the National Team. In fact, I don’t just want him a little, I want him a lot. Fortunately, he also believes in me. He believed in me at Al-Nassr and here as well.

“8. Regarding not greeting the fans. We’ve already talked about that. Someone who plays over 230 games for the national team doesn’t expect lessons in love for Portugal from me. It was a moment of frustration that doesn’t erase anything. He’s the player who gives the most autographs, takes the most selfies, and shows the most affection to the fans. Let’s not invent problems where they don’t exist. When we’re not happy, we react. That’s all.”

Ronaldo suspended

Ronaldo ended his statement by acknowledging that he should be punished by the Portuguese federation for abandoning the team and refusing to play. “The consequences of my actions must be evaluated and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he wrote.

“I believe the punishment should not be mitigated. I am not just any player; I am the team captain, and that constitutes an aggravating factor. I have already apologised, but I know that actions must have consequences.”

Now, the federation has confirmed that it has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Ronaldo. As a result of the ongoing investigation into the matter, the 41-year-old has been provisionally suspended.

“Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, by decision of the Non-Professional Section, on October 9, 2026, with the objective of ascertaining the potential disciplinary relevance of the facts reported on October 7, 2026,” a statement read.

“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.

“The proceedings were sent, on October 10, 2026, to the Disciplinary Instruction Committee of the FPF (Portuguese Football Federation), with publicity excluded until the end of the investigation.”

It is unlikely that Ronaldo will face any serious punishment, and he has left the door open to farewell matches in the future, but this is a sad ending to one of the all-time great international careers.