Portugal permanently adjusts its number 7 jersey to pay tribute to legendary star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese national team has officially announced a permanent design tweak to its iconic number 7 jersey to pay tribute to national team legend Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7), ensuring that this number will forever be closely linked to the greatest icon in Portuguese football history.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has played for the national team for 23 years, making 246 appearances and scoring 146 goals, holding the record for the most goals scored by a men's national team. During his career, he captained Portugal to their first major tournament title in the 2016 European Championship and won the UEFA Nations League twice (2019 and 2025).

On November 5th of this year, after a conflict with head coach Jorge Jesus, Cristiano Ronaldo officially announced the end of his national team career; he completed his farewell match for the national team on September 24th in a UEFA Nations League home victory against Wales, winning 1-0.

Ahead of their UEFA Nations League match against Denmark in Braga on Saturday, the Portuguese national team released official design details of their new number 7 jersey on social media. The change involves adding a horizontal line, a common feature in European handwriting, to the center of the number 7.

The official post read, "It's time to introduce the all-new 7, because there's a 7 that will last forever," accompanied by a goat emoji representing the Greatest of All Time (GOAT).

According to the official promotional video, the newly added horizontal line symbolizes a heavy responsibility. Future generations of Portugal's number 7 heirs will carry this legendary legacy when they wear this jersey. Furthermore, the Portuguese team held a special tribute ceremony for Cristiano Ronaldo before and after their match against Denmark on Saturday.

Image source: Internet