LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The Portuguese Football Federation has suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for walking out on the team and initiated disciplinary proceedings.
The case has been referred to its disciplinary investigation committee and its findings will remain confidential until its conclusions are reached, the federation said in a statement Saturday.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo left the Portugal camp during the international window in a dispute with new coach Jorge Jesus over his lack of playing time in the Nations League.
In the three games Ronaldo was either an unused substitute or absent, Portugal won, and his replacement Gonçalo Ramos seized his chance by scoring three goals.
Ronaldo was involved only in Portugal’s opening Nations League game, where he was replaced by Ramos in a 1-0 win over Wales. He left the squad after watching the second game from the substitutes’ bench — a 2-1 win in Norway — and Portugal showed no ill effects from his departure with wins over Denmark and Norway to book a quarterfinal.
Ronaldo ended the international break with a long post to his 679 million followers on Instagram, where he asked the Portugal coach to acknowledge a mistake in asking him to warm up on the sidelines in Oslo and then not send him on the field. Jesus did not acknowledge any mistake.
The star wrote that he expected a suspension under federation rules but promised his fans “we will have one or more farewell matches.”
Ronaldo could possibly face a harsh punishment for leaving the training camp. The federation’s disciplinary regulations say that any player who “abandons or fails to appear” without justification at a training session, match or activity of the national teams “shall be sanctioned with a suspension of one to six months,” in addition to a fine.
Ronaldo did tell the federation he was leaving, but it wasn’t clear whether the decision would be considered justified in accordance with the regulations.
“I have already apologized, but I know that actions must have consequences," Ronaldo wrote in his statement. “Anyone in football as I am knows that, regardless of each person’s status, the rules are the same for everyone.”
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Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo starts on the bench during a Nations League soccer match between between Norway and Portugal, in Oslo, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo arrives for training in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, ahead of their Nations League soccer match against Denmark. (Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimarães scored their first goals at Emirates Stadium as defending champion Arsenal recovered to beat Leeds 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.
It was the perfect way for Arsenal to celebrate coach Mikel Arteta signing a contract extension this week and bounce back from a hefty defeat at Brighton before the extended three-week break for internationals.
Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table ahead of a tricky trip to Liverpool for City on Sunday. The game at Anfield is City's first since being found guilty of large-scale financial wrongdoing in the biggest scandal in Premier League history. City is appealing.
It was a first defeat for Leeds, which was hoping to leapfrog Arsenal into second — courtesy of a better goal difference — with a win.
The visitors frustrated Arsenal for large swathes of the match, defending well and looking dangerous on the counterattack.
Leeds scored in the 55th minute. Gabriel Gudmundsson rolled the ball across the area and it went past the flailing hand of a sprawling David Raya and through to James Justin, who blasted it into the roof of the net.
That seemed to spark Arsenal into life and it equalized just seven minutes later as Ben White headed a cross back to Calafiori, who bundled in from close range.
The sixth Arsenal goal for Calafiori, who joined the club in 2024, was the defender’s first at home.
Arteta made a triple change moments later, sending on Guimarães, Victor Gyokeres and Jurrien Timber and the comeback was complete in the 70th with a lovely team goal.
A free kick was taken quickly and it was flicked between several players before Declan Rice teed up Guimarães to drive into the bottom left corner from outside the area.
It was the Brazil midfielder’s second goal for Arsenal — having scored against Sunderland last month — after joining from Newcastle in the offseason, and he celebrated by diving into the crowd.
Manchester United was playing Tottenham later.
Jordan Henderson became Chelsea’s oldest English goal-scorer as the 36-year-old netted a brace in a 5-1 win over Bournemouth.
Henderson scored after just 66 seconds and turned provider almost immediately, setting up Morgan Rogers for a deflected shot that put Chelsea 2-0 up after just 149 seconds.
João Pedro added another in the opening minute of the second half and Evanilson grabbed one back for Bournemouth. Chelsea hadn’t kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since Jan. 21.
João Pedro settled any nerves in Stamford Bridge with Chelsea’s fourth before Henderson also doubled his tally with a superb free kick.
Brighton consolidated third place with a 2-0 win at Sunderland, despite playing most of the second half with 10 men after Pascal Struijk was shown a straight red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
Maxim De Cuyper scored moments before Struijk’s dismissal and Jaouen Hadjam sealed the match in stoppage time.
Fulham appeared set for its first win in the Premier League but two very late goals — from Abdoul Ouattara and Dara O’Shea — saw Ipswich snatch a 2-1 victory.
Brentford remained unbeaten after drawing at Aston Villa 2-2.
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Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leeds United in London, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. ( John Walton/PA via AP)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta, left, leaves the field with Leeds' head coach Daniel Farke at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leeds United in London, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Leeds react disappointed after the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leeds United in London, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Arsenal's Riccardo Calafiori celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leeds United in London, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes, centre, challenges for the ball with Leeds' James Justin, right, during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leeds United in London, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
