Post-Ronaldo Era Begins: Portugal FA Hit by Follower Exodus, Leão Inherits Iconic No. 7

Following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the national squad, Rafael Leão, a Galatasaray forward who typically wears No. 17 for Portugal, has been confirmed by UEFA to wear the No. 7 shirt for the team's upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. This change is effective for Thursday’s game against Denmark in Copenhagen and Sunday’s home fixture against Norway. The switch is mandated by UEFA Nations League rules, which require a 23-player matchday squad to use consecutive numbers from 1 to 23 without any gaps. Consequently, new call-up Fábio Silva has been assigned Leão’s previous number.

Ronaldo, 41, left the Portugal camp on Wednesday after being an unused substitute in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Norway. This marked a stark contrast to Portugal’s previous match, a 1-0 win over Wales, which was Jorge Jesus’s first game in charge, where Ronaldo had started. Portugal currently leads Group A4 with two wins, preparing to travel to Parken Stadium for their Thursday match before hosting Norway at Estádio do Dragão on Sunday.

The veteran forward's abrupt exit was preceded by reported tensions with newly appointed head coach Jorge Jesus. Ahead of the fixture against Denmark, Jesus publicly defended his decision to bench the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, stating, “I’m the coach and I told the player that he wasn’t going to play. I told him I would take him to the bench and that, if I needed him for 30 minutes, he would play. But I saw the game differently, so he didn’t come on. It won’t be Cristiano, or any other player, who changes my ideas as a coach. Never.”

Hours after Jesus’s press conference, Ronaldo announced on social media that he had decided to leave the national team camp following discussions with Jesus and the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). While he stressed his longstanding commitment to the national team and stated he would reveal his reasons to the Portuguese public at a later date, he also made clear that his departure did not signify an international retirement. Ronaldo remains Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer with an impressive 138 goals and has been a central figure for the national team for over two decades.

Ronaldo's decision triggered an immediate and significant reaction from supporters. The Portuguese Football Federation's official Instagram account reportedly lost more than one million followers within 24 hours of his departure. The Sun reported a drop from 24.9 million followers on Wednesday to approximately 23.8 million by Thursday evening. This mass unfollowing became one of the most visible signs of fan support for their captain, as supporters also flooded Portugal’s official social media platforms with messages backing Ronaldo, despite the federation not publicly attributing the decline in followers to his exit. This incident unfolds during a sensitive period for Portugal as the team navigates upcoming international commitments under new coach Jorge Jesus.