Cristiano Ronaldo’s international retirement could make Portugal face a marketing ‘tragedy’

Portugal have been warned that they face a looming problem once Cristiano Ronaldo eventually walks away from international duty, though not the kind that shows up on a scoreboard.

Daniel Sa, executive director of the Portuguese Institute of Marketing Administration (IPAM), says the issue is strictly commercial: the national team’s brand identity is so deeply tied to Ronaldo that his departure threatens to trigger a real drop in media attention and revenue for the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).

Sa was careful to frame his warning specifically around branding rather than results on the pitch, arguing that Ronaldo’s value to Portuguese soccer’s business side has grown far beyond what any other player, past or present, has provided.

“It might be a bit harsh to say, but from a brand perspective, Ronaldo is incomparably bigger than the entire Portuguese national team and countless others combined. I’m not making a sporting analysis, but a brand analysis: it will be a tragedy when he leaves, because people still don’t grasp the media attention that will be lost. We’ll be falling down a high-speed escalator,” Sa told the Lusa news agency.

According to Sa, Ronaldo has been directly responsible for a large share of the sponsorship deals and commercial revenue the federation has secured over the past two decades, a dependency he believes the FPF now needs to actively plan around rather than ignore.

“He’s the one who makes them sign numerous contracts and earn a lot of money for over 20 years. I believe the FPF is preparing a different narrative, because it can’t be dependent on just one person and needs to present other types of arguments. Obviously, there is more to Portuguese football than Ronaldo, but they should explore this new strategy well,” he added.

Ronaldo’s future with Portugal

The marketing concerns come at a pointed moment, since Ronaldo has already confirmed that the 2026 World Cup, his sixth appearance at the tournament, was his last one, even as he’s stopped short of formally announcing his retirement from the national team altogether. That leaves his international future technically undecided, but increasingly viewed as something that won’t stretch on much longer.

New Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, who previously worked with Ronaldo at Al Nassr, has said he’ll keep selecting the forward for as long as he remains fit and available, while stopping short of suggesting a long runway ahead.

Speculation has already turned to when exactly that farewell might come. Reports suggest Ronaldo could bring his international career to a close against Wales in the UEFA Nations League on September 24, 2026, at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, the same ground where his professional journey began with Sporting CP.

Nothing has been confirmed, but the symbolism of ending where it all started has only added to the sense that Ronaldo’s time with Portugal is nearing its final chapter.