COPENHAGEN: Galatasaray forward Rafael Leão described wearing Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal number seven shirt as special after Thursday’s 4-2 win over Denmark.
Leão took the number after Ronaldo left the national team camp. He usually wears number 17 for his country.
He spoke after the 2026/27 Nations League match at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) organises the competition.
For Leão, the shirt number carried two personal connections. Ronaldo has been his idol since childhood, he explained.
He said his children were born on the seventh, which gave the number another meaning for him.
Read: Cristiano Ronaldo Leaves Portugal Camp, Vows to Explain
Ronaldo is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Leão expressed pride in wearing the number associated with the Portugal forward. “I did my best to respect this number, this shirt,” Leão said.
(With input from GOAL)
