Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for the Covid, the Portuguese Football Federation declared Tuesday.
Ronaldo’s positive test confirmed the worst fear of some European clubs, who had fought with FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, to alter rules that require them to release players to represent their national teams during scheduled international breaks. Many clubs feared that sending their players on long trips to virus hot spots — particularly in South America, where qualifying for the 2022 World Cup began last week — could leave them vulnerable to infection or cause them to bring the virus back to their European teams.
Ronaldo, 35, was tested while on worldwide obligation with the Portugese public group.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was released from the work of the National Team after a positive test for COVID-19, so he will not face Sweden,” the federation said in a statement.
The league included that the remainder of the Portugal crew has been tested and none of different players were discovered to be tainted as the group plans to play Sweden on Wednesday.
Following a scoreless draw against France on Sunday, the Juventus forward posted a photograph on his web-based media with him colleagues which read, “Joined on and off the field.”
Ronaldo, 35, will miss Wednesday’s Nations Cup game against Sweden, the federation said.
Ronaldo played for Portugal in a friendly against Spain last week and in a scoreless Nations League draw against France on Sunday. On Monday, he posted a photo of himself dining with his smiling teammates on his social media accounts.
Players who did travel now will face quarantines or other restrictions — and potentially even miss league games — upon their return to certain countries, including the United States.
Ronaldo, who plays for the Italian club Juventus, had been spared infection earlier this year when the virus swept through his team and the Italian league system. At least three Juventus players — Paulo Dybala, Daniele Rugani and Blaise Matuidi — tested positive in the first wave of cases earlier this year.
Ronaldo is not the first soccer star to test positive this fall as Europe’s top leagues start their new seasons and players journey home for national team duty. The Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was found to be positive when he turned up for a training camp with France’s national team in August, weeks after the Brazilian star Neymar and two of his teammates at the French club Paris St.-Germain are believed to have caught the virus during a postseason vacation in Spain.
