Rafael Leao relishes Portugal’s number seven shirt after Cristiano Ronaldo absence

Rafael Leao described wearing Portugal’s number seven shirt as a special moment after Cristiano Ronaldo left the national team camp.

Leao wore the number in Portugal’s 4-2 Nations League victory over Denmark, a result which kept Roberto Martinez’s side top of their group with a perfect record of three wins and nine points.

Asked by Portuguese newspaper A Bola whether he felt Ronaldo had betrayed Portugal, Leao said: “That is not something I want to talk about. We proved once again that we are a united group, and I am sure he is happy with this victory.”

The AC Milan forward added: “I know him as a team-mate and I know what kind of person he is. The most important thing is the team. We collected another three points and moved to the top of the group. Now it is time to rest and prepare for Monday’s match.”

Leao said Ronaldo’s influence had made the shirt particularly significant to him.

“Wearing the number seven? It was a special moment for me because Cristiano has been my role model since I was a child,” he said.

“The number seven has a special meaning for me because it is connected to my children’s dates of birth. I simply tried to wear the shirt and enjoy the moment with my team-mates. In the end, I think the most important thing was winning the match.”

Portugal’s goals were scored by Joao Cancelo, Goncalo Ramos, Vitinha and Joao Felix. Denmark’s goals came from Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Højlund.

The result was the first time Portugal had scored four goals away from home in a competitive match without Cristiano Ronaldo since 6 September 2008, when they also scored four against Malta.

Vitinha scored his first goal for Portugal on his 46th international appearance.

Ramos continued his strong record in Ronaldo’s absence, having scored 12 of his 13 goals for Portugal when the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has not been on the pitch. The forward also reached 100 goals across his club and international career.

Portugal’s victory came after Ronaldo’s departure from the camp, but Leao insisted the team’s focus remained on its collective performance as they prepared for their next match on Monday.