Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal squad

Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the Portugal national team camp ahead of the Nations League match against Denmark has sparked significant controversy within the country's football community. According to reports from A Bola, this situation has not only led to squad adjustments but also a sharp decline in the team's social media following. This is reported by Goal.com reports.

At the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, the legendary number 7 jersey belonging to Ronaldo will not remain unclaimed. According to Nations League regulations, players included in the matchday squad must wear numbers between 1 and 23. Therefore, despite Cristiano Ronaldo temporarily leaving the team, the Portugal national squad could not leave his number vacant.

Rafael Leao takes number 7 and squad absences

Due to regulatory requirements, the number 7 jersey for the match against Denmark has been assigned to forward Rafael Leao. It is worth noting that this player moved from AC Milan to Galatasaray during the summer transfer window.

However, the national team's changes are not limited to those involving Cristiano Ronaldo. In addition to the former Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United forward, Francisco Conceição has also been excluded from the squad due to a thigh injury. Although medical examinations showed no serious tear, the coaching staff decided not to take any risks.

Social media losses and fan reactions

According to B24, the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the national team camp has caused serious damage to the Portuguese Football Federation. Specifically, the national team's official pages lost nearly half a million (500,000) followers in just a few hours.

According to a survey conducted by A Bola, local fans primarily blame Cristiano Ronaldo for the situation. Specifically, 78.2% of respondents criticized the Al Nassr forward, while 13.7% blamed head coach Jorge Jesus, and 8.1% identified federation president Pedro Proença as the main culprit.