Cristiano Ronaldo Leaves National Team After Testing Positive for COVID-19

The international icon could be set to miss a game against longtime rival Lionel Messi later this month

Cristiano Ronaldo Leaves National Team After Testing Positive for COVID-19
Cristiano Ronaldo during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between France and Portugal.
Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal’s national team after testing positive for the coronavirus and will not play in the club’s upcoming UEFA Nations League game against Sweden on Wednesday.

The international soccer star is currently in isolation and not showing symptoms, Portugal confirmed in a statement.

“Following the positive case, the remaining players underwent new tests Tuesday morning, all with a negative result, and are available to Fernando Santos for training this afternoon,” according to the translated statement.

Ronaldo, who played in all of Sunday’s 0-0 draw against world champions France, is now doubtful to take the pitch for Juventus’ Serie A game against Crotone on Saturday and their Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev next Tuesday. Juventus is also slated to play Barcelona in that competition on October 28th, with Ronaldo set to face off against longtime rival Lionel Messi for the first time since he left Real Madrid in 2018. The pair have not played against one another in the Champions League since 2011.

The 35-year-old was one of several Juventus players who did not remain in quarantine in Turin after it was determined that two staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus. After testing negative once, Ronaldo left the team hotel to join up with his teammates and did not await the results of a second test. Due to that violation of Italian coronavirus rules, Ronaldo could face legal action.

“The club itself told us that some players had left the place of isolation and therefore we will notify the competent authority, that is the prosecutor, of what happened,” said Roberto Testi, a director of the health authority in Italy’s Piedmont region.

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