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The official Instagram account of the Portugal national football team has reportedly lost more than 1.4 million followers within 24 hours, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s dramatic departure from the national team camp amid tensions with head coach Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday, September 30, shortly after the coach publicly addressed his decision to leave the forward on the bench during Portugal’s recent Nations League victory over Norway.
Jesus had said Ronaldo was told he would start on the bench and could be introduced if needed, but the coach ultimately decided not to bring him on. He stressed that he, as coach, would make his own tactical decisions and that no player would influence them.
Shortly afterwards, Ronaldo announced his decision to leave the camp. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner said the decision followed a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença and the coach’s press conference.
Ronaldo said he would, “in due course,” explain to the Portuguese people the reasons behind his departure, while wishing his teammates success in the upcoming matches.
The development quickly triggered a reaction on social media, with large numbers of supporters reportedly unfollowing Portugal’s official Instagram account.
Daily Trust reports that the account lost more than 1.4 million followers in 24 hours. Other tracking reports have recorded a smaller but still substantial decline, with Portuguese media and social-media monitoring services reporting losses of hundreds of thousands of followers.
The figures have fuelled discussion about Ronaldo’s enormous influence on Portugal’s global football following. With hundreds of millions of followers himself, the 41-year-old remains one of the most influential football personalities on social media.
Portugal subsequently continued its Nations League campaign without Ronaldo. The national team defeated Denmark 4–2, with Rafael Leão wearing the No. 7 shirt previously associated with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has not announced his retirement from international football. His statement indicated that he intends to explain the circumstances surrounding his departure at a later time, leaving his immediate future with the national team a subject of continued attention.
