Piers Morgan slams Portugal over Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt

Summary

• Taking to X, Morgan questioned why Portugal had allowed another player to wear Ronaldo’s iconic shirt after everything the veteran forward has achieved for the national team.
• 7 shirt does not necessarily mean Portugal has permanently removed the number from Ronaldo.
• 7 appears to be a result of Ronaldo’s absence and the competition’s squad-number rules, rather than confirmation that Portugal has permanently passed the iconic shirt to the younger forward.

AI Generated Summary

British broadcaster Piers Morgan has criticised Portugal after Rafael Leao was handed Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous No. 7 shirt for the team’s latest Nations League fixtures.

The decision attracted attention because the No. 7 shirt has been closely associated with Ronaldo throughout his long international career. The 41-year-old forward has worn the number for Portugal during some of the biggest moments of his career and has become one of the country’s most celebrated footballers.

Leao was given the shirt after Ronaldo left Portugal’s national team camp. The change came ahead of Portugal’s Nations League matches against Denmark and Norway.

The AC Milan forward had previously worn No. 17 for the national team. Following Ronaldo’s departure, Leao was moved to No. 7, while Fábio Silva took over his previous number.

The decision prompted a strong reaction from Morgan, who has regularly spoken publicly about his admiration for Ronaldo and his career.

Taking to X, Morgan questioned why Portugal had allowed another player to wear Ronaldo’s iconic shirt after everything the veteran forward has achieved for the national team.

“After everything @Cristiano has done for Portugal, why the hell are they treating him like this?” Morgan wrote.