Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for COVID-19

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for the coronavirus, the nation’s football federation has said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said the 35-year-old forward “is doing well, without symptoms, and is in isolation”.

It did not say when he tested positive.

Ronaldo played in the 0-0 draw at France in the Nations League on Sunday, and also in the 0-0 draw against Spain in a friendly last week.

He has been dropped from the country’s Nations League match against Sweden on Wednesday.

On Monday, the Juventus forward posted a photo on Twitter showing him and the rest of the Portugal squad having a meal together. The players were all close to each other at a table, with Ronaldo apparently taking the photo himself at the front end.

Along with the tweet, Ronaldo wrote, in Portuguese, “United on and off the field!”

Unidos dentro e fora do campo! 🇵🇹👏🏽👊🏽 #todosportugal pic.twitter.com/4bQSUIPm2m

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 12, 2020

 

The federation said Ronaldo’s result prompted another round of tests for the rest of the Portugal squad. It said everyone else in the team had tested negative.

The squad was scheduled to practise normally on Tuesday ahead of the match against Sweden in Lisbon.

Portugal and France lead Group 3 with seven points each after three matches.

Ronaldo will surely also miss upcoming matches of his Italian club Juventus after the positive test.

Juve visit Crotone in the Serie A on Saturday and have their Champions League opener next Tuesday at Dynamo Kiev.

He can only return to action after testing negative again.

The forward is not the first among the world’s most famous footballers to contract COVID-19.

Others include his Juventus team-mate Paulo Dybala; Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel di Maria and Marquinhos; Paul Pogba of Manchester United; and AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic.