Leão takes Portugal’s No. 7 shirt for Nations League games
UEFA has listed Rafael Leão as Portugal’s No. 7 for the team’s next two Nations League matches, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the national-team camp. Leão normally wears No. 17, but squad-number rules require matchday players to use consecutive numbers from 1 to 23.
UEFA has listed Rafael Leão as Portugal’s No. 7 for the team’s next two UEFA Nations League matches after Cristiano Ronaldo left the national-team camp, according to the official squad list. Leão, who normally wears No.
17 for Portugal, is set to use the shirt in Thursday’s match against Denmark in Copenhagen and Sunday’s home fixture against Norway. New call-up Fábio Silva has been assigned No. 17.
The change follows UEFA Nations League regulations requiring the 23-player matchday squad to use consecutive shirt numbers from 1 to 23, without gaps. Ronaldo’s departure therefore created the need for another player to take the No. 7 shirt.
A football transfer expert reported on Thursday that UEFA had confirmed Leão’s listing for the two matches after Ronaldo left the camp. The report was cited in the source material alongside the official squad information. Ronaldo departed on Wednesday after he was an unused substitute in Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on Sunday.
He had started the previous game, a 1-0 win against Wales that marked Jorge Jesus’s first match in charge. Portugal are top of Group A4 after winning their opening two matches. They travel to Parken Stadium to face Denmark before hosting Norway at Estádio do Dragão on Sunday.
The temporary change gives Leão the opportunity to wear a number associated with Ronaldo during Portugal’s next two fixtures. The available information does not state whether the number will remain his beyond those matches.
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