Rafael Leao says wearing Cristiano Ronaldo’s number seven for Portugal was ‘special’

Rafael Leao described wearing the number seven shirt for Portugal as a special moment after taking the number associated with his childhood idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, during the 4-2 win over Denmark.

Leao started Thursday evening’s Nations League group-stage match wearing seven after Ronaldo left the Portugal camp. The forward is usually listed as number 17 for the national team, but the shirt made famous by Ronaldo became available when the captain departed.

Portugal were required to allocate the number to another player under UEFA’s Nations League regulations, which state that squad numbers must run from one to 23 for players included in the matchday list.

The significance of the occasion was not lost on Leao, who grew up watching Ronaldo play for Portugal and has long regarded him as the country’s leading star and one of football’s greatest players.

“Wearing the number seven shirt was special for me because Cristiano has been my idol since I was a child,” Leao said, in comments reported by Foot Mercato.

The moment came during a tense period for the Portugal squad. Ronaldo left the camp by his own decision following tensions with head coach Jorge Jesus, creating an unusual backdrop to Leao’s first appearance in the shirt so closely linked with the veteran forward.

Leao has previously worn number seven at club level, although only once during his professional career. That came while he was playing for French club Lille during the 2018-19 season.

His appearance against Denmark formed part of Portugal’s third group-stage round in the Nations League, with the team securing an entertaining 4-2 victory. For Leao, however, the match also carried a personal significance as he briefly occupied the shirt that had belonged to Ronaldo.