Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for 30 days and fined 255 euros (£215) by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) after leaving Portugal’s international camp.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain departed the Nations League squad in September after being an unused substitute against Norway and learning that he would not start against Denmark on 1 October.
Ronaldo later said in a lengthy statement that Portugal coach Jorge Jesus had “broken his word” twice. He described the decision as an “absolute breach of trust”.
The suspension was backdated to the day of the Denmark match. Ronaldo has therefore already completed 19 days of the ban and will not miss a Portugal fixture as a result.
Portugal are scheduled to play Denmark again in the Nations League on 14 November, before travelling to Wales three days later.
The FPF disciplinary committee said it had considered “the remorse shown” by Ronaldo in his statement, along with his “contributions to soccer and recognition for athletic merit”.
As part of his defence, Ronaldo submitted his CV, including details of his awards and achievements, to the committee.
He also directed the disciplinary panel to his earlier statement, in which he accepted responsibility for leaving the camp and apologised to his team-mates and supporters. Ronaldo added that he deserved to be punished.
Jesus denied that he had made any agreement with Ronaldo, but has not ruled out the forward returning to the Portugal squad.
Pedro Proenca, president of the FPF, told Portuguese outlet Record that there was a “strong desire” to see Ronaldo back with the national team once the disciplinary issue had been resolved.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal, both men’s world records. He has helped the country win Euro 2016 and two Nations League titles.
Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in December 2022 on a reported annual salary of £177m and signed a contract extension last year.