Rafael Leão will wear Portugal’s iconic No. 7 shirt in Thursday’s UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark after Cristiano Ronaldo left the national team camp.
The Galatasaray forward, who had been wearing No. 17 for Portugal, has been handed Ronaldo’s famous number for the upcoming fixtures against Denmark and Norway.
The change, however, is understood to be a result of UEFA’s squad-numbering regulations rather than a permanent decision to replace Ronaldo. For Nations League matches, players in the 23-man matchday squad are required to wear consecutive numbers from 1 to 23. With Ronaldo absent from the squad, Leão has therefore been moved from No. 17 to No. 7, while new call-up Fábio Silva takes the No. 17 shirt.
Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp on Wednesday after coach Jorge Jesus indicated that the 41-year-old would not start against Denmark.
The Portugal captain had been an unused substitute during Sunday’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway, having started the team’s opening 1-0 win over Wales.
Jesus denied reports of a serious dispute with Ronaldo, but the forward subsequently announced that he had decided to leave the camp after speaking with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation. Ronaldo said he would explain the reasons for his decision “in due course.”
The development has put Leão in the spotlight as Portugal prepare for life without their long-time No. 7 for the two upcoming Nations League matches.
Portugal currently lead Group A4 with two wins and will face Denmark in Copenhagen before hosting Norway on Sunday.