Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football has brought an end to an iconic chapter in Portugal's history, but the national team will not retire his famous number seven jersey. The legendary forward announced his decision through a farewell video on Thursday, signalling the end of an international career that began in 2003.
Ronaldo's final appearance for Portugal came against Wales last September, closing a remarkable journey in which he became the country's most celebrated footballer. However, the shirt number that defined much of his international career will remain available for future players.
The issue had already been addressed during the previous international break. When Ronaldo left the Portugal camp ahead of the match
against Denmark, winger Rafael Leao took over the number seven jersey, providing an indication that the shirt would continue to be used.
According to Record, UEFA regulations require teams to submit a final squad list containing 23 players and their respective shirt numbers by midnight before every match. Consequently, national teams cannot leave a jersey number unassigned in official FIFA fixtures.
Can Football Federations Retire Iconic Numbers?
Portugal's decision is consistent with football's wider regulations, which have prevented several countries from permanently withdrawing iconic shirt numbers.
Argentina previously attempted to retire the number 10 jersey in honour of Diego Maradona in 2001. However, FIFA rejected the request, and Ariel Ortega subsequently wore the number during the 2002 World Cup.
A similar proposal to retire Lionel Messi's number 10 was also unsuccessful. Cameroon, meanwhile, were denied permission to withdraw the number 17 jersey following the death of Marc-Vivien Foe.
At club level, however, teams have greater freedom. Manchester City retired the number 23 in Foe's memory, while French club Lens also withdrew the same number.
Interestingly, Ronaldo did not always wear number seven for Portugal. He initially played in number 16 before switching to 17, which he wore from Euro 2004 until the 2006 World Cup. Following Luis Figo's retirement, Ronaldo inherited the iconic number seven in 2007.
Although his international journey has ended, Portugal's famous number seven will continue to feature on the football field.
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