Portugal alter No 7 shirt design to keep Ronaldo's version unique

Portugal have changed the design of the No 7 on their shirts so that Cristiano Ronaldo's version of the number remains his alone, according to The Guardian and Goal. The national team announced the move on social media on Saturday, before their Nations League match against Denmark in Braga.

A change to the digit

The Portuguese football federation (FPF) has added an extra horizontal stroke to the number, Goal reports. Future squad members will still wear a 7, but it will look visibly different from the style associated with Ronaldo for more than 20 years.

Regulations bar national teams from officially retiring shirt numbers, so the federation found another route, according to Goal. The exact design from Ronaldo's era will be reserved for the former captain.

The team's post included a goat emoji, which signifies Greatest Of All Time, and a video showing a horizontal line crossing the 7, as the number is commonly written in Europe.

A career that ended in a falling-out

Ronaldo announced his retirement on 5 November, according to The Guardian, after a falling-out with coach Jorge Jesus. His last appearance was a 1-0 home win over Wales in the Nations League on 24 September.

The sources differ on his record. The Guardian gives 246 caps and 146 goals over a 23-year career, while Goal reports 234 appearances and 146 goals. Goal says that leaves him top of the federation's all-time appearance and scoring lists.

He captained Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016, and later won the Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

Federation explains the decision

In a statement, the federation said: "This is another way to immortalise the significance of such a special number and honour the legacy it represents."

The national team's social media post read: "Time to debut a new 7. Because there's one that will be eternal." The Guardian reports that Portugal will also pay tribute to Ronaldo before and during the Denmark fixture.

Is a redesigned No 7 a fitting tribute, or should Portugal have gone further?