Portugal Make Ronaldo's No 7 a Permanent Shirt Tribute
Portugal have changed the design of the No 7 shirt for good, in honour of Cristiano Ronaldo. The national team unveiled the new look on 14 November 2026, and the number will now carry a permanent mark of the player who wore it for two decades.
The change was announced ahead of Portugal's Nations League match against Denmark in Braga. The Nations League is the competition between Europe's national teams that runs through the autumn and winter. Portugal planned a tribute before and during that game, and the team posted on social media: "Time to debut a new 7. Because there's one that will be eternal."
The new design has a horizontal line crossing through the 7. That is how the number is often written in Europe, and it sets the shirt apart from the standard version. The line gives the number a distinct look that fans will recognise at a glance.
Ronaldo wore the No 7 for 20 years for his country. Across a Portugal career that lasted 23 years, he earned 246 caps, which is the term for each appearance for the national side, and scored 146 goals. He announced his retirement from Portugal duty on 5 November 2026. His last appearance came on 24 September 2026, when Portugal beat Wales 1-0 at home in the Nations League.
His biggest honour with Portugal came in 2016. He captained the team to its first major trophy at the European Championship, the continental tournament for national teams, and he also won two Nations League titles, in 2019 and 2025.
For many Portugal fans, the number has become tied to one player's name, so a permanent design is a clear way to keep it that way. The shirt will now carry the same mark for the players who follow him, whoever they are. It is a small change on the fabric, but it is a lasting one.
Football shirts often change slightly from season to season, with new sponsors, new colours and new trims. Permanent changes to a number are much rarer. Portugal's move makes this one a lasting record of a career that has been measured in caps, goals and trophies, and now in a single number on the back of a shirt.
