insiderblmCristiano Ronaldo is returning to Italy after testing positive for the coronavirus in Portugal, according to reports.
On Wednesday, the soccer star, 35, traveled via a “private ambulance plane” from Lisbon to Turin to complete his quarantine, Italian and Portuguese media outlets said.
Ronaldo began quarantining in Portugal following his positive COVID-19 test Monday evening, which came amid the UEFA Nations League Tournament for Portugal. A Tuesday statement from the Portugal Football Federation confirmed the news of his positive test.
Ronaldo played in the Sunday 0-0 match against France, as well as in the 0-0 friendly against Spain last week, but is missing his team’s Wednesday game against Sweden, the Federation’s statement confirmed.
Depending on future coronavirus test results, he may also miss the match with rival Barcelona on Oct. 28, in which Ronaldo was set to go up against fellow star Lionel Messi.
As of Tuesday, Ronaldo was doing well in isolation and not exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus. The rest of the Portuguese team also underwent testing Tuesday morning, all of which came back negative.
The athlete has not yet spoken out about his positive test result. His last social media post was a photo of him and his teammates enjoying a meal together Monday, captioned in Portuguese, “United on and off the field!”
Later on Tuesday evening, however, Ronaldo was seen watching his teammates practice at their base, just outside of Lisbon. He appeared to be in good spirits, smiling at the camera and giving a thumbs up while sitting on a balcony above the field.
