Portugal Lose Over 1 Million Followers Within 24 Hours of Cristiano Ronaldo Leaving Camp
- The Portuguese national team's Instagram account shed over a million followers within 24 hours of Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the squad
- Ronaldo left the training camp after coach Jorge Jesus publicly said no single player, including the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, would change his approach
- Piers Morgan, who knows Ronaldo personally, suggested on X that the real reasons behind the exit have not yet been made public
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Portugal's official national team Instagram account dropped from 24.9 million followers to 23.8 million in less than 24 hours after Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of the squad on Wednesday, a fall of over one million followers in a single day.
Ronaldo's exit came shortly after head coach Jorge Jesus addressed reporters and made clear that no player held influence over his selections.
Source: Getty Images
"It won't be Cristiano, or any other player, who changes my ideas as a coach. Never. Neither him nor anyone else. Not even a president. Never," Jesus said at the press conference.
According to The Sun, the 40-year-old, who was left out of Portugal's match against Norway on Sunday, then released a statement on social media confirming his departure.
"Following the national team manager's press conference, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I decided to leave the national team's training camp," Ronaldo wrote.
"In due course, I will tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons behind my departure from the national team, to which I have always been dedicated."
Ronaldo's No7 shirt handed to Leao
Less than 24 hours after Ronaldo left, his iconic No7 shirt was given to Rafael Leao for the Nations League clash with Denmark.
Portugal won the match 4-2, with Gonçalo Ramos, named as Ronaldo's replacement in the squad, scoring their second goal.
According to Daily Mirror, PSG midfielder Vitinha said the squad was continuing to develop under Jesus.
"We are growing, and the truth is, the more we work with the manager, the more we assimilate his ideas," he told TVI Noticias.
"We took a step forward in attack."
Morgan Hints at Hidden Reasons
Former media personality Piers Morgan, who has a personal relationship with Ronaldo, suggested on X that the publicly stated circumstances do not tell the full story. "That's not why he walked out, as will become clear when he talks about it," Morgan wrote.
Ronaldo has pledged to address the Portuguese public directly in the coming days, promising to explain the full reasons behind his decision to leave a national team he has represented for over two decades.
Ronaldo hints at retirement
Earlier, Legit.ng reported Ronaldo has dropped his biggest hint yet that he could walk away from professional football at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The 41-year-old has spent 25 years as a professional since making his debut with Sporting Lisbon in 2002, going on to play for top clubs including Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
Source: Legit.ng
