Portugal paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo in their first match since the forward announced his retirement from international football, with every player wearing his iconic No. 7 jersey before their UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark on Saturday.The tribute extended beyond the players, with the young mascots accompanying them also wearing the No. 7 shirt. Supporters in the stands displayed a banner reading “Obrigado, capi7ão” — “Thank you, captain” — alongside images of Ronaldo lifting the European Championship and Nations League trophies.Portugal also made a change to the way the No. 7 is written on their shirts to honour Ronaldo’s legacy. The new design features a horizontal line crossing through the number, similar to the way Ronaldo used to write it.“Time to debut a new 7. Because there’s one that will be eternal,” the Portuguese national team wrote on social media on Saturday. The post also included a goat emoji, referring to Ronaldo as the Greatest Of All Time.The change ensures that Ronaldo’s version of the No. 7 remains distinct from those who wear the number in the future. The forward made the number his identity during his career, becoming known as ‘CR7’.Ronaldo announced his international retirement on November 5, bringing an end to a career with Portugal that spanned 23 years. He made 246 appearances for his country and scored 146 goals, becoming the men’s all-time leading international goalscorer.He captained Portugal to their first major international trophy at Euro 2016 and also helped them win the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. His international career included appearances at six FIFA World Cups.The tribute came nine days after his retirement announcement. Ronaldo’s last appearance for Portugal was on September 24, in a 1-0 home win over Wales in the Nations League.However, the celebrations before the Denmark match were followed by a disappointing result for Portugal. Playing their first game without Ronaldo, they suffered a 4-1 home defeat, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring twice for Denmark.In the other League A Group Four match, Norway beat Wales 3-1 in Oslo. Antonio Nusa and Andreas Schjelderup scored before Erling Haaland converted a late penalty to complete the win.Despite the defeat, Portugal remain at the top of the group with 12 points, three ahead of Denmark. Norway are third with six points, while Wales are at the bottom with three.One round of league-phase matches remains. Wales will host Portugal, while Denmark will take on Norway on Tuesday.
