Portugal's first match of the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era has brought an unusual question: how do you honour a player whose shirt number cannot officially be retired?

For more than a decade, the No.7 has been closely linked with Ronaldo. Many supporters wanted his nation to retire the number in recognition of his contribution, but FIFA and UEFA rules make that difficult.

Instead, the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF) has found another way to mark his legacy.

Why Portugal Cannot Retire Ronaldo's Number

National teams cannot simply retire shirt numbers for official competitions. According to FIFA rules, squads in FIFA and confederation tournaments must use consecutive numbers. For example, a 26-man World Cup squad must be numbered from 1 to 26, with no gaps.

The same rule applies in the UEFA Nations League, where A Bola reports that squad numbers run from 1 to 23. Reports also say the FPF wanted to leave the No.7 unused as a tribute to Ronaldo, but UEFA's league-phase rules did not allow it.

Portugal are not the first country to run into this problem. FIFA rejected Argentina's request to retire the No.10 in honour of Diego Maradona ahead of the 2002 World Cup.

Clubs have more freedom over shirt numbers. Liverpool, for example, were able to retire Diogo Jota's No.20 following his death in 2025.

How Portugal Plans to Honour Ronaldo Instead

Rather than take the No.7 out of circulation, the FPF has reportedly introduced a new design for the number. The federation has changed its typeface, with the new version set to appear from the Denmark match onwards.

The original design, associated with Ronaldo, will be kept as a tribute to his time with the national team. The number itself will remain available to other players, but they will wear the updated version.

According to O Jogo, Club Brugge's Carlos Forbs is listed as Portugal's No.7 on the UEFA team sheet. Rafael Leão is expected to take on the role more permanently, although he is missing the November fixtures through injury.

Sportskeeda has also reported that a seventh-minute ovation is planned in Ronaldo's honour.

The No.7 Has a History Beyond Ronaldo

Portugal's decision also reflects the fact that the No.7 was not always Ronaldo's alone. According to GiveMeSport, he made his international debut in 2003 wearing No.16 before taking the No.7 in 2008, before it was changed in the Euro 2008 finals.

Before Ronaldo, Luís Figo wore the number. Nani and Ricardo Quaresma also used it when Ronaldo was unavailable.

Ronaldo eventually finished his international career with 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal. In his farewell message, he also recognised that the shirt had belonged to other players before him.

Portugal are due to travel to Cardiff to face Wales on Tuesday.