Piers Morgan slams Portugal over Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt

British broadcaster Piers Morgan has criticised Portugal after Rafael Leao was handed Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous No. 7 shirt for the team’s latest Nations League fixtures.

The decision attracted attention because the No. 7 shirt has been closely associated with Ronaldo throughout his long international career. The 41-year-old forward has worn the number for Portugal during some of the biggest moments of his career and has become one of the country’s most celebrated footballers.

Leao was given the shirt after Ronaldo left Portugal’s national team camp. The change came ahead of Portugal’s Nations League matches against Denmark and Norway.

The AC Milan forward had previously worn No. 17 for the national team. Following Ronaldo’s departure, Leao was moved to No. 7, while Fábio Silva took over his previous number.

The decision prompted a strong reaction from Morgan, who has regularly spoken publicly about his admiration for Ronaldo and his career.

Taking to X, Morgan questioned why Portugal had allowed another player to wear Ronaldo’s iconic shirt after everything the veteran forward has achieved for the national team.

“After everything @Cristiano has done for Portugal, why the hell are they treating him like this?” Morgan wrote.

He also mentioned Ronaldo’s late father while discussing the footballer’s long-standing commitment to representing his country.

“Yesterday was his father’s birthday, and he played for his country the day after his dad died,” Morgan added.

Morgan then criticised the decision more directly, describing it as disrespectful towards Ronaldo.

“Shameful to see this shocking disrespect for their greatest player,” he wrote.

However, the decision to give Leao the No. 7 shirt does not necessarily mean Portugal has permanently removed the number from Ronaldo.

The change is understood to be linked to UEFA’s Nations League regulations. Under the competition rules, players included in the matchday squad must be assigned shirt numbers between 1 and 23.

With Ronaldo absent from the squad, his No. 7 shirt was therefore available for another player. Leao was moved from No. 17 to No. 7, while Silva took Leao’s former number.

As a result, the change appears to be a squad-number arrangement for the current Nations League fixtures rather than a permanent decision about Ronaldo’s shirt.

Ronaldo’s absence has nevertheless generated plenty of discussion around Portugal’s national team. The forward has spent much of his career as one of the central figures in Portuguese football and has represented his country across several generations.

At 41, Ronaldo is now in the later stages of his playing career, but he remains a major name in the national team setup. His future involvement with Portugal continues to attract attention whenever he is absent from an international squad.

Leao, meanwhile, is part of a younger generation of Portuguese players expected to play an important role for the national side. The forward has established himself as an attacking option for Portugal and has previously shared the pitch with Ronaldo at international level.

For Leao, wearing No. 7 in these fixtures gives him the opportunity to represent Portugal in a shirt strongly linked to one of the country’s most famous players. However, the temporary change does not necessarily suggest that he has permanently taken Ronaldo’s place.

The situation has also highlighted how much significance Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt carries among Portugal supporters. Although shirt numbers can be reassigned when players are unavailable, Ronaldo’s number has become closely connected with his identity and achievements on the international stage.

Portugal will now continue its Nations League campaign with Leao wearing No. 7 and Ronaldo absent from the squad. Whether Ronaldo returns to the national team for future fixtures, and whether he resumes wearing his familiar number, will depend on his involvement in upcoming international matches.

For now, Leao’s move to No. 7 appears to be a result of Ronaldo’s absence and the competition’s squad-number rules, rather than confirmation that Portugal has permanently passed the iconic shirt to the younger forward.