Cristiano Ronaldo row costs Portugal and Jorge Jesus millions of social media followers

The dispute between Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal manager Jorge Jesus has triggered a major social media backlash, despite the team beating Denmark 4-2 in the Nations League.

The disagreement began during Portugal’s camp in Copenhagen, before Ronaldo announced that he was leaving the squad. He suggested that Jesus had failed to honour an agreement over his involvement in the matches against Norway and Denmark.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Ronaldo’s departure was followed by an “unprecedented bleed” of followers from the official Portugal accounts and from Jesus’ personal platforms.

Lisbon woke to banners supporting Ronaldo and criticising Jesus after the forward left the camp. The signs were placed near the Portuguese capital’s airport and reflected growing anger among supporters.

A Bola reported that Portugal’s social media channels had lost about two million followers since the dispute began. The decline reached its highest point on Thursday, the day of the match against Denmark, when about one million users stopped following the national team’s official accounts within 24 hours.

The newspaper described the reaction as turning a sporting victory into a crisis for the team’s public image and reputation.

Jesus has also been affected by the backlash. His personal social media accounts have lost close to 100,000 followers, with A Bola reporting that he had felt the impact of protests from Ronaldo supporters directly.

The manager had already been met with jeers from fans when leaving the team hotel and after a brief interview at Parken, where Portugal secured their 4-2 victory over Denmark.

A Bola said the online reaction showed the extent of the divide between a significant section of Portugal supporters and the structure led by Jesus.

Ronaldo’s following continues to grow

Ronaldo, however, has experienced the opposite trend. Despite his decision to leave the Copenhagen camp and his swift return to Madrid, the Portuguese forward recorded a significant increase in followers across social media.

A Bola said: “Cristiano Ronaldo’s personal brand remains protected from erosion and continues to demonstrate its global strength.”

The newspaper added that Ronaldo remained “the most influential figure in global sport on social media platforms”.

It said the episode had produced an immediate shift in loyalty among millions of fans, who chose to support the player rather than Portugal’s national team or its manager.

The dispute has therefore had sharply contrasting consequences online: Portugal and Jesus have suffered substantial losses in their digital audiences, while Ronaldo’s following has continued to expand.