Rafael Leao takes Portugal’s number seven after Cristiano Ronaldo departure

Rafael Leao will wear Portugal’s number seven for the first time when they face Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday, just hours after Cristiano Ronaldo left the national team’s training camp.

The change follows Ronaldo’s departure amid a dispute with manager Jorge Jesus, prompting questions over whether the Portuguese Football Federation had deliberately given Leao the shirt made famous by the 41-year-old forward.

However, UEFA’s regulations appear to have determined the decision. The European governing body published Portugal’s squad list for the Nations League match, confirming that Leao will wear number seven in the third round of the group stage.

Leao wore number 17 in Portugal’s opening two matches in the competition. The Galatasaray winger will now use the number Ronaldo has worn for most of his international career, while the situation surrounding the former captain continues to develop.

Ronaldo announced on his social media accounts that he had left the Portugal camp in response to comments made by Jorge Jesus. The manager had said Ronaldo was angry after being left on the bench for the entire match against Norway on Sunday.

It was an unusual moment in Ronaldo’s international career. He had not remained an unused substitute for a Portugal match for 18 years, making the decision not to bring him on against Norway particularly significant.

Jorge Jesus said he was responsible for selecting the team and insisted he would not allow Ronaldo, or any other player, to influence his decisions.

After announcing his departure, Ronaldo travelled by private plane to Madrid. Meanwhile, his Portugal team-mates headed to Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, where they trained ahead of Thursday’s meeting with Denmark.

UEFA rules governing the Nations League require players included in a matchday squad to be assigned shirt numbers from one to 23. With Ronaldo absent from Portugal’s squad for the Denmark fixture, the number seven therefore had to be allocated to another player.

Leao’s selection for the shirt comes against the backdrop of a disagreement that began with Ronaldo’s omission from the Norway match and continued with his decision to leave camp. The UEFA squad list indicates that the number change was required by competition regulations rather than necessarily representing a deliberate response to Ronaldo’s actions.