Portugal FA Loses Over One Million Instagram Followers After Ronaldo Exit

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has reportedly lost more than one million Instagram followers within 24 hours of Cristiano Ronaldo’s abrupt departure from the national team camp.

The Sun reported that the official Portugal Instagram account had 24.9 million followers on Wednesday, but the figure had fallen to about 23.8 million by Thursday evening.

The reported drop followed Ronaldo’s decision to leave the Portugal camp amid speculation of tension between the veteran forward and newly appointed head coach Jorge Jesus.

Ronaldo, 41, was left on the bench during Portugal’s victory over Norway on Sunday and did not feature in the match.

Ahead of the subsequent fixture against Denmark, Jesus defended his decision to leave the five-time Ballon d’Or winner among the substitutes.

“I’m the coach and I told the player that he wasn’t going to play. I told him I would take him to the bench and that, if I needed him for 30 minutes, he would play,” Jesus said.

“But I saw the game differently, so he didn’t come on. It won’t be Cristiano, or any other player, who changes my ideas as a coach. Never.”

Hours after the press conference, Ronaldo announced on social media that he had decided to leave the national team camp following discussions with Jesus and the president of the FPF.

He said he would reveal the reasons behind his decision to the Portuguese public at a later date, stressing his longstanding commitment to the national team.

Ronaldo also made clear that his departure from the camp did not represent an international retirement.

The forward remains Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer with 138 goals and has been a central figure in the national team for more than two decades.

His decision triggered an immediate reaction from supporters, with fans flooding Portugal’s official social media platforms with messages backing the captain.

The reported mass unfollowing of the FPF’s Instagram account has since become one of the most visible signs of the reaction to Ronaldo’s departure, although the federation has not publicly attributed the decline in followers to his exit.

The incident comes at a sensitive period for Portugal as the team prepares for its upcoming international commitments under Jesus.