Portugal minister backs Cristiano Ronaldo, hails his value to national brand amid squad turmoil | OneFootball

Portugal’s economy minister has rallied behind Cristiano Ronaldo amid the national team turmoil, arguing the 41-year-old remains a vital asset to the country’s image and economy.

'Cristiano Ronaldo has an enormous impact on the projection and enhancement of the Portugal brand,' Castro Almeida told Now Canal, later calling the forward 'Portugal's best-known company'.

The dispute escalated after a turbulent camp. Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Norway despite warming up, skipped training, then on Wednesday confirmed his exit following talks with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca in Copenhagen.

Soon after, the national team’s Instagram account shed more than 1.5 million followers in under 48 hours, falling from 25 million to roughly 23.5 million as supporters sided with the player over the institution.

Billboards surfaced in Lisbon and Oeiras expressing unwavering support for Ronaldo and criticising Jesus. Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 without him, yet sentiment appeared to favour the number seven.

Castro Almeida stressed Ronaldo’s exceptional value to Portugal’s international standing while noting he is not an expert on the football side. He argued the country should do everything possible to retain such influence.

Source: Goal.com

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