Ronaldo says he will not end Portugal career, apologises for leaving camp
In short
Cristiano Ronaldo said he is not ready to end his Portugal national team career and apologised to his team-mates and fans for leaving the squad a day before the match with Denmark after a dispute with the coach. He said the Portuguese Football Federation should decide any punishment, and according to journalist Fabrizio Romano he remains available for a call-up in November.
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Cristiano Ronaldo said he is not ready to end his career with the Portugal national team, according to statements reported by TASS, RBC, RIA Novosti, Kommersant and Interfax. Interfax described the statement as an open letter in which the player denied rumours of an immediate end to his national team career. RIA Novosti reported that he said he is staying with the squad. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Ronaldo apologised to the players and the fans for leaving the squad a day before the match with Denmark, RBC and Kommersant reported. Kommersant said he left the camp after learning that head coach Jorge Jesus had left him on the bench for a second consecutive match. [ 2 , 4 ]
In the statement cited by Kommersant, Ronaldo said the Portuguese Football Federation should assess the consequences of his actions and determine the punishment. “I am not just an ordinary player — I am the team captain, and this is an aggravating circumstance. I have already apologised, but I understand that actions must have consequences,” he said, according to the statement published by A Bola and journalist Fabrizio Romano on X. [ 4 ]
Ronaldo said he would play “one or several farewell matches” for the fans. He said that after serving any suspension, if he is in good physical shape and playing — and he hopes scoring — for his club, he would be ready to fight and win with the national team, Kommersant reported. Fabrizio Romano said the player remains available for a call-up in November, a detail carried by TASS and Kommersant. [ 1 , 4 ]
Kommersant reported that on 27 September Ronaldo did not take the field in an official match for the first time in 18 years, spending the whole Nations League game against Norway, which Portugal won, on the bench. The documents do not report a decision by the Portuguese Football Federation on any punishment, and only Kommersant describes the dispute with the coach and the preceding matches in detail. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The statement keeps Portugal's captain available for selection and leaves the disciplinary decision in the federation's hands, so the next steps rest with an official body rather than the player. Because the dispute involves the coach and a two-match spell on the bench, the episode leaves the squad's immediate selection situation unsettled. The documents do not go beyond the player's statement and the reported circumstances.
Key facts
- Cristiano Ronaldo said he is not ready to end his career with the Portugal national team. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Ronaldo apologised to the players and fans for leaving the squad a day before the match with Denmark. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Ronaldo said the Portuguese Football Federation should assess the consequences of his actions and determine the punishment, describing his role as captain as an aggravating circumstance. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Ronaldo said he will play “one or several farewell matches” and will be ready to fight and win with the national team once any suspension is served, if he is in good physical shape and playing for his club. [ 4 ]
- Journalist Fabrizio Romano said Ronaldo remains available for a call-up to the national team in November. [ 1 , 4 ]
- On 27 September Ronaldo did not come on in an official match for the first time in 18 years, spending the whole Nations League game against Norway, which Portugal won, on the bench. [ 4 ]
- Ronaldo left the squad before the Denmark match after learning that head coach Jorge Jesus had left him on the bench for a second consecutive match. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the Portuguese Football Federation will punish Ronaldo, and what the punishment would be. The documents report only that Ronaldo said the federation should assess the consequences and set the penalty; no document reports a decision.
- The exact circumstances of the dispute with the coach. Only Kommersant describes the dispute and the two matches on the bench in detail; the other documents do not state these details.
- Whether Ronaldo will actually be called up in November. The November availability is attributed to journalist Fabrizio Romano, and no document reports a squad decision.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that Ronaldo will not end his Portugal career and will be available for a call-up in November. [ 1 ]
- RBC reports that Ronaldo apologised to the national team, said he will not end his career and is ready to accept punishment from the Portuguese Football Federation before being available again. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reports that Ronaldo said he is staying with the Portugal national team. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant publishes details of the statement, including that Ronaldo left the squad a day before the Denmark match after a dispute with the coach and that the federation should set any punishment. [ 4 ]
- Interfax reports that Ronaldo published an open letter denying rumours of an immediate end to his national team career. [ 5 ]