In Lisbon, fans stood by Ronaldo. © ANSA / RODRIGO ANTUNES

Ronaldo's fans with a bizarre stunt

Two days after his hasty departure from the national team, Portugal's superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is now also receiving public support from his fans.

02 October 2026

From: dpa

Large protest banners were hung in front of the new headquarters of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and in the center of Lisbon, each featuring a photo of "CR7" and national coach Jorge Jesus. The message to Ronaldo was: "You will always be our captain." Next to the coach's photo was the sentence: "You are not up to the task."

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) reacted quickly: the poster was removed after about 45 minutes. According to a report in the newspaper "Correio da Manhã," the FPF had specifically contacted the Oeiras city council for this purpose. The FPF's new headquarters, Cidade do Futebol, is located in this suburb of Lisbon.

The poster was removed by the Portuguese Football Federation within 45 minutes. © ANSA / RODRIGO ANTUNES

Jorge Jesus had left Ronaldo out of the starting lineup for last Sunday's Nations League match in Norway and subsequently announced that he would also bench the country's record international player for the upcoming game against Denmark. The 41-year-old star striker then left the national team's training camp and flew to the Spanish capital, Madrid, in a private jet.

Meeting with coach and Ronaldo?

Portugal's Football Association president, Pedro Proença, wants to arrange a meeting between Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus and mediate between the two, according to "Correio da Manhã." Proença's goal is reportedly for Ronaldo to play for the national team again.

The pressure exerted by the fans of the five-time World Player of the Year was already evident during the World Cup in the USA this summer. A fake post appeared on Instagram, supposedly from the girlfriend of Portuguese national player João Neves, calling for Ronaldo's retirement. Although it quickly became clear that it was not a genuine statement from actress Madalena Aragão, she was subjected to a barrage of insults and abuse from Ronaldo fans on social media.