Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly mocked Simon Jordan’s appearance in a private message disclosed by Piers Morgan following the broadcasters’ heated debate about the Portugal captain.
Morgan fiercely defended Ronaldo after the 41-year-old left Portugal’s training camp during the international break following a dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus.
Jordan argued that Ronaldo’s own behaviour could be the common factor in the series of public fallouts that have followed him in recent years.
Morgan subsequently sent a clip of their exchange to Ronaldo before revealing the footballer’s response on his Football Uncensored programme.
Ronaldo aims ‘Botox’ insult at Jordan
According to Morgan, Ronaldo responded: “That blonde guy, tell him to stop with the Botox. He looks like an apple.”
Morgan then jokingly declared it “breaking news” before describing Jordan as a “suspiciously smooth-faced apple”.
Ronaldo has not publicly confirmed sending the message, but Morgan has maintained a close relationship with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Their friendship became particularly prominent in 2022, when Ronaldo gave Morgan the explosive interview that preceded his departure from Manchester United.
The latest message came after Jordan challenged Morgan’s objectivity when discussing the Portuguese forward.
Jordan suggested that Morgan’s admiration for Ronaldo prevented him from acknowledging that the player might have contributed to his disputes with both club and country.
Morgan rejected that argument and defended Ronaldo’s decision to speak publicly about his treatment by Portugal manager Jesus.
Simon Jordan responds to Ronaldo
Jordan has since responded to the personal attack, joking that Ronaldo’s suggestion he had used too much Botox was “quite flattering”.
However, the former Crystal Palace chairman remained critical of Morgan’s unwavering support for Ronaldo, describing the broadcaster’s approach as overly admiring and biased.
Jordan’s original criticism focused on Ronaldo’s decision to leave Portugal’s camp before the completion of the international schedule.
He argued that a player of Ronaldo’s experience and stature should have handled the disagreement differently, regardless of any promises allegedly broken by the manager.
Jordan also questioned why Ronaldo has repeatedly found himself involved in public disputes with managers, referring to his acrimonious Manchester United exit under Erik ten Hag.
Portugal dispute sparked media row
The exchange followed Ronaldo’s decision to leave the Portugal squad after being left on the bench during a 2-1 victory over Norway.
Ronaldo claimed he had been told he would play for approximately 30 minutes but was instead sent to warm up without being introduced.
He later released a lengthy statement explaining his unhappiness with Jesus and accusing the manager of failing to honour promises about his role in the team.
Morgan said Jesus privately apologised to Ronaldo and agreed to clarify the situation publicly, but then failed to do so.
Jesus has indicated that the door remains open for Ronaldo to return to the national squad, meaning the forward may not have played his final match for Portugal.
For now, however, the argument has moved beyond the original disagreement and developed into a personal media feud involving Ronaldo, Morgan and Jordan.
