Portugal is being criticised online by football fans after the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) squad list showed that Rafael Leão would wear Cristiano Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt against Denmark in Copenhagen.
UEFA released the lists on Thursday for the Nations League match, which Portugal won 4-2.
One user wrote, “Leao should have rejected it”, while another said, “That’s disrespectful.” A third commented, “The disrespect is unmatched.” Another wrote, “Leão doesn’t have any respect for CR7 either. If I were him I would refuse to wear the number 7.”
One person added, “Perfect example of how you will be treated no matter what you achieve”, and another said, “Nobody is better than the original!”
UEFA’s 23-player list left out Ronaldo and Francisco Conceição, who is recovering from an injury. That opened a place for Borussia Dortmund striker Fabio Silva, who took Leão’s usual No. 17.
Bruno Fernandes returned after missing the game against Norway through injury.
Leão, who joined Galatasaray from AC Milan in the summer, wore the No. 7 shirt at Parken Stadium. After the match, he said, “Cristiano is my idol since I was a child”. He added that he tried to respect the number and that his children were born on the 7th.
Portugal’s goals came from João Cancelo, Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha and João Félix. Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Højlund scored for Denmark.
UEFA requires Nations League teams to number their matchday squads from 1 to 23, so someone had to take the No. 7 shirt. Portugal have not announced that Leão will keep it permanently.
Ronaldo left the Portugal camp on Wednesday after coach Jorge Jesus’s press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.
Ronaldo said that he would explain his reasons at a later date.
