FIFA rule prevents retirement of Portugal's number 7 jersey

Portugal's number 7 jersey cannot be retired in official competitions because of FIFA and UEFA numbering rules. The restriction comes after Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 41, announced on Thursday (5) the end of his 23-year career with the national team.

In the World Cup, the players registered must wear numbers from 1 to 26. UEFA also determines player numbering in the competitions it organizes: in the 2026/27 Nations League, jerseys run from 1 to 23 in the group stage and from 1 to 26 in the final stage.

Argentina faced the same obstacle in 2002 when it tried to retire Diego Maradona's number 10 jersey. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced the tribute, but FIFA barred the measure because it went against the regulations. The number 10 jersey will also remain available for Lionel Messi, who played his last match for the Argentine national team in October.

Who supports keeping the number 7 jersey in use

In Portugal, former players disagree on the tribute. In October, during a sports ceremony in Lisbon, Paulo Futre advocated for the removal of the number: “The number 7 jersey must be retired from the national team; Cristiano has to go out in style,” he said.

Humberto Coelho, former national team coach and vice-president of the Portuguese Football Federation, argued that the number should continue to be used. “Cristiano made (the 7) a very special number, but, in my opinion, it should continue to be used by the national team,” he said.

Rafael Leão already wore the number 7 jersey when Ronaldo left the team's camp in October, after a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus. Pedro Neto of Chelsea and Francisco Conceição of Juventus are also named as possible holders of the number.

How Ronaldo left the team's camp

The forward was on the bench during Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway in late September, although he had warmed up for 30 minutes. On the eve of the match against Denmark in Copenhagen, he left the camp.

In October, Ronaldo apologized to the fans and his teammates, but said that Jorge Jesus broke agreements between the two. The coach said the player could return to the national team if he wanted and stated that he learned of the retirement only after the public announcement.

Ronaldo was on the pre-list for the upcoming Nations League commitments, a tournament in which Portugal has already secured a spot in the quarterfinals. In an Instagram video, he said that the time had come to give back “the number 7 jersey of our national team” and said: “I never felt it was exclusively mine. But for 23 years, I had the privilege and responsibility to wear it, defend it, and take it to stadiums around the world.”

What marked Cristiano Ronaldo's career

Ronaldo made his national team debut in August 2003, at age 18, in a friendly against Kazakhstan. His first goal came in June 2004, against Greece, in the opening match of the European Championship. In total, he scored 146 goals in 234 matches, records for goals and games for men's national teams.

In 2016, he won the European Championship, Portugal's first major title. He left the final against France in the first half due to an injury, and the team won 1-0 in extra time with a goal from Éder. The forward also won the Nations League in 2019 and 2025; in the 2025 final, he scored in the 2-2 draw with Spain before Portugal's victory on penalty kicks.

The farewell also raises a commercial issue for the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). The entity's main sponsorship contracts are secured until 2030, when Portugal will host the World Cup together with Spain and Morocco. Specialist Daniel Sá evaluated: “When Ronaldo leaves, Portugal will go down a fast-moving escalator.”

The FPF announced it plans to honor the former captain, but has not yet released details. Portugal has matches against Denmark on November 14 and against Wales on the 17th, for the Nations League.