Rafael Leao said wearing Portugal’s number seven was a special moment because Cristiano Ronaldo has been his role model since childhood.
Leao wore the shirt during Portugal’s 4-2 victory over Denmark on Thursday evening in the third round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
The number had become available after Ronaldo left the Portugal camp. Leao, who usually wears number 17, was handed the shirt because UEFA regulations for the Nations League require players named in the squad to wear numbers from one to 23.
For Leao, the occasion carried particular significance because he grew up watching Ronaldo, Portugal’s captain and one of football’s most celebrated players.
“Wearing the number seven shirt was special for me because Cristiano has been my role model since I was a child,” Leao said, in comments reported by Foot Mercato.
The decision came during a tense period surrounding the Portugal squad. Ronaldo left the camp by his own decision following tension with manager Jorge Jesus.
Although the number is closely associated with Ronaldo, it was not entirely unfamiliar to Leao. The forward had worn number seven once before at club level during his professional career, while playing for French side Lille in the 2018-19 season.
Leao’s appearance in the shirt followed Portugal’s entertaining win over Denmark, in which his side scored four goals. Ronaldo’s departure meant the team had to allocate his customary number to another player in order to comply with UEFA’s squad-number regulations.