Cristiano Ronaldo exit could cost Portugal ‘hundreds of millions’, branding expert warns

Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal’s training camp could cost the Portuguese Football Federation hundreds of millions of euros in commercial value and put sponsorship agreements at risk, according to branding expert Carlos Coelho.

Ronaldo left the camp on Wednesday, ending a troubled 23-year association with his country’s shirt before Portugal’s Nations League meeting with Denmark. Coelho, president of marketing consultancy Ivity Brand Corp, described the situation as an economic “earthquake” and criticised the way the federation handled the country’s most valuable football asset.

Speaking to Portuguese news agency Lusa on Thursday, in comments reported by Record, Coelho said the federation’s standing had been damaged significantly.

“The Portuguese Football Federation’s reputation is clearly declining,” he said. “This unexpected event, which was managed extremely poorly, represents a major setback in terms of the value or loss it represents.”

Coelho said the national team’s sporting future was not in danger, insisting that Portugal would continue to play and could still win. However, he warned that the most damaging consequences would be commercial.

“Overnight, one of its biggest assets worldwide has been lost,” he said. “Hundreds of millions of people around the world watch Portugal’s matches because of Cristiano Ronaldo. They are not concerned with whether the team wins or loses.”

He added that football was no longer simply a sport but “a multi-billion-dollar industry”, meaning Ronaldo’s exclusion affected the federation’s financial foundations.

Coelho also raised the possibility of sponsors reviewing their agreements with Portugal. “Put yourself in the position of a sponsor who signed a contract expecting to associate its brand with this asset,” he said. “You would have valid reasons to argue that the expectations have changed, request meetings and even cancel contracts.”

He cited Al Nassr’s trip to China as an example of Ronaldo’s commercial influence. When the forward was absent, attendance reportedly fell from 55,000 spectators to 5,000. Coelho said Portugal’s international reach had now suffered a “very significant setback”.

The branding specialist agreed with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s view that the episode amounted to “value destruction” which could have been avoided. He said Ronaldo, who is 41, should not have been treated either as a footballer or a media figure in the same way as a 17-year-old.

“The greatest player in the history of Portuguese football must be treated with respect and care,” Coelho said. “What happened is evidence of a lack of authority,” in a direct reference to manager Jorge Jesus.

Coelho argued that strong results alone would not repair the damage in international markets. He called for a diplomatic solution that would give Ronaldo a respected place within the national-team structure, even if that role was not on the pitch, but “certainly not on the bench”.

In contrast, he predicted that Ronaldo’s personal brand could emerge stronger. “Ronaldo’s brand will not lose; it will be strengthened,” he said. “He has dominated headlines around the world and remains an unofficial ambassador with diplomatic and economic influence greater than any advertising campaign in the country.”

Daniel Sa, executive director of the Portuguese Institute of Marketing Management, also described Ronaldo as “the biggest brand Portugal has ever known” and urged the federation to develop a transition strategy to limit the decline in its global profile. Ronaldo’s departure also leaves him facing possible disciplinary action.