Cristiano Ronaldo has said he is not retiring from international football, but believes he should be punished for walking out on Portugal in what he described as a “breach of the coach’s trust”.
The 41-year-old captain left his country’s Nations League camp after being an unused substitute against Norway and then finding out that he would not start against Denmark.
In a lengthy statement, the Al-Nassr forward, formerly of Real Madrid and Manchester United, said he should be held accountable for his actions. “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 apologised, but I know that actions have consequences.”
Portugal manager Jorge Jesus said on Sunday that the door was still open for Ronaldo to play for the national team. Ronaldo indicated he wanted to carry on representing his country provided he was “physically fit, playing with my team, and hopefully scoring goals”. He added: “After my suspension period ends, I will be available, as I always have been, to compete and win with our national team.”
Ronaldo’s record for Portugal stands at 146 goals in 234 appearances, both world records. He helped the national team win Euro 2016 and the Nations League twice.