Cristiano Ronaldo likes video criticizing Portugal teammates following squad departure

Social media activity following camp departure

Cristiano Ronaldo placed a like on an Instagram video that criticised his Portugal national team colleagues for failing to support him. The reaction followed the 41-year-old forward's departure from the national team training camp on Wednesday, 30 September 2026. After leaving the squad, the former Real Madrid forward, who now plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, stated on social media that he would address the full circumstances at a later date.

The video clip circulating online originated from Brazilian television and quickly accumulated widespread attention across social media platforms. Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola initially recorded 27,000 likes on the footage, while later measurements reported by Diario de Noticias surpassed 236,000 likes. Ronaldo's public interaction with the commentary brought renewed scrutiny to relations between the squad, the federation, and the veteran team captain.

Felipe Melo's television critique

Former Brazilian international Felipe Melo, who previously played for Fluminense and Palmeiras, made the comments on Friday during the program Selecao on SporTV. Melo contrasted the environment surrounding Ronaldo in Portugal with the treatment Lionel Messi receives from the Argentina national team squad.

There is a grotesque difference in how Portuguese teammates treat Cristiano Ronaldo and how Argentine players treat Lionel Messi.

Melo stated that Portugal's players showed insufficient respect for their captain, arguing that opposing teams often demonstrate greater appreciation for Ronaldo than his own teammates do. He argued that nobody in the Portuguese squad matches Ronaldo's achievements and that national team management failed to handle the departure with appropriate care.

There is a lack of communication, intelligence, and wisdom to deal with a player as great as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Friction during the Denmark fixture

To illustrate his argument regarding respect from opponents, Melo pointed to Denmark's 4-2 Nations League defeat against Portugal on Thursday, 1 October 2026. During that match, Napoli forward Rasmus Hojlund scored for Denmark and had a physical confrontation with coach Jorge Jesus. Melo noted that Hojlund holds Ronaldo as his personal idol, contrasting that external admiration with the atmosphere inside Portugal's squad.

You cannot just let the greatest in history leave like that, out of nowhere.

Melo noted that Portugal experienced its most successful era after Ronaldo joined the senior team, establishing a winning culture that produced international tournament victories. He stated that the federation and squad needed to keep Ronaldo integrated into the group even when he does not feature directly on the pitch.

Squad dynamics and commentary

During the same SporTV broadcast, commentator Paulo Nunes criticized Portuguese midfielder Vitinha for failing to mention Ronaldo during post-match interviews and asserting that the team was performing well on its own. The panel compared Portugal's handling of the situation with how the Brazilian national team manages star forward Neymar.

Ronaldo has not issued any additional public statements regarding the video or his interaction with it. Portuguese media outlets noted that his online endorsement confirmed ongoing tensions between the long-serving captain, his teammates, and coach Jorge Jesus following his abrupt exit from the national squad.