Portugal face symbolic decision over Ronaldo’s iconic number seven

Portuguese football is facing a sensitive question following Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement from international football: who should inherit the number seven shirt?

In an opinion article for Portuguese newspaper A Bola, writer Rui Pedro Soares argued that the decision is far more significant than a manager’s routine team-selection choice. The shirt has acquired enormous symbolic value after being worn by Ronaldo for almost two decades, following Luis Figo’s more than 10-year association with it.

Portugal are listed to face Denmark in the Nations League – Path A on 14 November 2026, but the central issue raised by Soares is the identity of the player who will represent the country in the famous shirt in the years ahead.

Writing under the headline “How do you succeed an exceptional player like Cristiano Ronaldo?”, Soares said Portugal should not search for a footballer who resembles Ronaldo or attempts to recreate his career. Ronaldo’s legacy, he argued, should inspire his successor rather than become a burden through impossible comparisons.

“Portugal’s new number seven will not be the new Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Portugal of tomorrow,” he concluded.

The debate reflects the status of the national-team shirt, which Soares described as one of Portugal’s greatest symbols of its presence and standing in the world. No tourism campaign or economic diplomacy initiative could guarantee the country the attention of billions of people in the same way.

International competition regulations mean the number cannot be retired permanently. As a result, deciding who wears it carries consequences for Portugal’s image beyond the pitch.

Soares said the question should not simply be who deserves the shirt, but how Portugal can succeed a player who was genuinely unique, respect his achievements without being trapped by them and prepare for the future without attempting to duplicate the past.

He warned that choosing the player most similar to Ronaldo, or one who occupies the same position, would be a mistake. “There will not be another Ronaldo,” he wrote, citing the former captain’s combination of talent, ambition, character, work ethic, consistency and global influence.

Instead, Soares highlighted Vitinha and Joao Neves as examples of different forms of excellence, while stressing that the succession should not be reduced to a choice between them.

Vitinha was praised for his intelligence, composure and ability to use his talent to improve those around him. He connects the team’s lines and demonstrates that leadership does not require noise or self-promotion.

Joao Neves, meanwhile, was described as an equally impressive possibility. At 22, he has won consecutive Champions League titles with Paris Saint-Germain, three league championships – one in Portugal and two in France – and the Nations League with Portugal.

Despite those achievements, Soares noted that Joao Neves remains friendly, hard-working and polite rather than arrogant, retaining the image of a player any family would be proud to call its son or son-in-law.

The writer said neither player should be viewed as an inferior version of Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s identity was built on self-belief, individual ability, relentless ambition and extraordinary discipline, while Vitinha and Joao Neves represent collective intelligence, calmness, simplicity and the capacity to make teammates better.

The number seven, Soares added, now belongs to Portugal’s collective memory and the image the country has created internationally, rather than to Ronaldo, his eventual successor or even the Portuguese Football Federation.

The greatest tribute to Ronaldo, he concluded, is to accept that his achievements were unique and cannot be repeated. His legacy should open the way for others to create their own paths, as Portugal continues to produce world-class players with different qualities, personalities and ways of succeeding.