October 2, 2026
Carlos Coelho, an expert in branding and corporate development consulting, warned of the potential negative economic repercussions on Portuguese football in the event of the departure of star Cristiano Ronaldo, stressing that his absence could deal a strong blow to the commercial value of the national team and the Portuguese Football Federation.
In statements to the Portuguese newspaper “Record”, Coelho explained that Ronaldo goes beyond just being a sporting value, to represent a pivotal element of public and commercial attraction around the world, noting that his global presence is directly and tangible reflected in the revenues from shirt sales, sponsorship contracts, and ticket sales.
In the same context, JD Sports data showed a huge amount of global public interest, as searches on Google for the phrase “Portugal CR7” recorded a record rise of 467% within just 24 hours of Ronaldo leaving the national team camp, while searches related to his shirts grew by 185%.
The trademark expert concluded by stressing that the absence of “The Don” may prompt some of the team’s sponsors to reconsider their current contracts, given the change in data related to the marketing value on which these agreements were based when they were signed.
