Rafael Leão has taken over Portugal’s famous number seven shirt after Cristiano Ronaldo left the national team’s training camp ahead of their UEFA Nations League fixture against Denmark, sport.detik.com reported. The squad list published by UEFA ahead of the match confirmed that the Galatasaray striker will wear the iconic jersey at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, marking a new chapter for the squad as they adjust to the absence of their longtime captain.
Squad Redirection in Copenhagen
Portugal will face Denmark on Thursday, October 1, 2026, local time, at Parken Stadium. With Ronaldo departing the camp following days of mounting tension, head coach Jorge Jesus and the Portuguese Football Federation had to rearrange squad numbers. Leão, who wore number 17 during Portugal’s previous matches against Wales and Norway, stepped into the number seven vacancy.
The updated roster confirms Leão as the new wearer of the shirt most closely associated with Ronaldo over his international career. The fixture in Copenhagen marks the team’s third match of the Nations League campaign, where Portugal currently sit atop Group D after securing opening victories against Wales and Norway.
The Training Ground Fallout
The transition in squad numbers follows a turbulent week in the Portugal camp involving Ronaldo and head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo was left on the bench during Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway, despite Jesus previously indicating the forward might appear as a substitute. Following that match, the 41-year-old missed two consecutive team training sessions, working only in the gymnasium.
While Jesus maintained that Ronaldo remained scheduled to train and denied that the player refused to participate, the veteran forward ultimately chose to leave the national team setup. Ronaldo announced his departure via social media following discussions with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença. He did not provide a detailed explanation for his exit, stating only that he would reveal the reasons at a later time.
“At the right time, I will tell everyone the truth about the reasons that led me to leave the national team,” Ronaldo said. Neither the player nor the federation has indicated that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has officially retired from international football.
FPF President Meets Ronaldo Before His Exit
The mounting uncertainty surrounding the team captain prompted FPF president Pedro Proença to alter his schedule. Proença abandoned plans to attend an under-21 fixture and traveled to Malmo, where he held an urgent meeting with both Jorge Jesus and Ronaldo at the team hotel. The discussion was described as calm and friendly, though it failed to prevent Ronaldo’s subsequent exit.
As the squad prepared for the Denmark fixture, Joao Felix was a notable presence on the training pitch. Meanwhile, Jesus confirmed that Francisco Conceição would miss the match, leaving a remaining squad of 24 players to carry out preparations.
Portugal National Team Loses 500,000 Social Media Followers
The friction surrounding Ronaldo’s departure quickly reverberated outside the training ground. Citing reports from B24 and Goal, sport.detik.com noted that the official social media channels of the Portugal national team suffered a drop of approximately 500,000 followers within hours of the news breaking.
Public sentiment in Portugal also fractured over the incident. A public poll published by A Bola asked respondents to assign responsibility for the crisis. The survey results showed that 78.2 percent of respondents blamed Ronaldo, 13.7 percent placed responsibility on Jorge Jesus, and 8.1 percent pointed toward FPF president Pedro Proença.
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