No Ronaldo disrespect: The UEFA rule that forced Portugal to reassign the No.7 shirt

Portugal’s decision to hand Rafael Leão the No.7 shirt was not a snub to Cristiano Ronaldo but a consequence of UEFA’s Nations League squad-number regulations.

Rafael Leão wearing Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous No.7 shirt for Portugal against Denmark was always going to attract attention, but the change was not a decision to disrespect the veteran forward or formally replace him.

Instead, the switch was dictated by UEFA’s regulations for the Nations League.

After Ronaldo left Portugal’s camp before the meeting with Denmark, his usual shirt number became available, and it must be occupied for the matchday.

What does UEFA’s rule say?

Under Article 37.01 of the UEFA Nations League regulations, players must be allocated shirt numbers between 1 and 23 for league-phase matches.

The regulations also require teams to submit a 23-player match sheet, with each player identified by his shirt number.

That meant Portugal could not simply leave No.7 unused while another player occupied a different number outside the required allocation.

With the five-time Ballon d’Or winner absent, the number had to be assigned to another member of the squad.

Why Rafael Leão got No.7?

Rafael Leão, who normally wears No.17 for Portugal, was handed Ronaldo’s No.7 for the Denmark fixture. Fábio Silva subsequently took No.17.

Portuguese broadcaster Renascença reported that the change was linked directly to UEFA’s shirt-number regulations.

The decision therefore had a practical explanation rather than a ceremonial one. Portugal needed to comply with the competition’s squad-number requirements, and Leão became the player wearing the famous shirt for that match.

It does not replace Ronaldo

The fact that Rafael Leão wore No.7 does not mean Portugal have permanently handed Ronaldo’s number to him. Nor does it amount to an official retirement of Ronaldo’s international career.

Ronaldo’s No.7 has become closely associated with his extraordinary career for Portugal, so seeing another player wear it was naturally striking.

However, the circumstances surrounding Leão’s appearance in the shirt were administrative rather than symbolic.

Moreso, Leao became the 16th different player to wear the shirt since Ronaldo first took it in 2007, meaning the shirt has been occasionally passed around when the 41-year-old has been unavailable.

Similar scenario has happened at other national team camps. Germany for instance, Said El Mala has taken over the No.7 shirt after Kai Havertz, who wore it in the first match of this international break got injured and left the team.

The simple explanation

There was no disrespect to Ronaldo. UEFA’s Nations League regulations required Portugal to allocate shirt numbers within the permitted range for the match, and Ronaldo’s absence meant No.7 had to be reassigned.

Leão wearing the shirt was therefore a consequence of the competition rules, not Portugal making a statement about Ronaldo’s legacy or deciding that he had been permanently replaced.