Rafael Leão will wear Portugal’s iconic No. 7 shirt against Denmark after Cristiano Ronaldo left the national team camp in Copenhagen.
UEFA released the official squad lists on Thursday for Portugal’s Nations League Group A4 fixture at Parken Stadium. Leão, who usually wears No. 17 for Portugal, has been listed as No. 7 for the match while newly called up forward Fabio Silva takes his former No. 17. Francisco Conceicao is also absent through injury while Bruno Fernandes returns after missing the 2-1 win over Norway.
The change is required under UEFA Nations League regulations which state that the 23 players named on a matchday must be numbered consecutively from 1 to 23 with no gaps. With Ronaldo vacating his squad place following his departure on Wednesday, Portugal had to reallocate the number for regulatory compliance.
The move comes just hours after Ronaldo announced he was leaving the training base following a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca and after being an unused substitute in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Norway. It was only the fourth time in his entire international career that he was an unused substitute and the second time since 2009.
Ronaldo had started Portugal’s previous match, the 1-0 win over Wales which was Jorge Jesus’ first game in charge since replacing Roberto Martinez after the 2026 World Cup. Leão, 27, was not used against Wales and came on as a second half substitute against Norway. He has worn No. 10 at club level at AC Milan and now Galatasaray but that number is held by Fernandes at international level.
Officials stressed the reassignment does not mean Ronaldo’s number has been permanently retired or reassigned for the future and UEFA’s wider database continues to list both players with No. 7, indicating the change applies only to this international window.
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