For the first time in 17 years, Portugal‘s No. 7 jersey was not worn by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Al-Nassr star missed his country’s game against Sweden, with Braga sensation Bruma rocking the emblematic shirt number.
Unsurprisingly, it seemed to give the 29-year-old some good luck. Only 11 minutes after coming off the bench for Rafael Leao, Bruma found the net to make things 4-0 for his side.
It was only the second international goal for the winger, ending a long drought since the day he scored against Scotland in October 2018. In the end, Portugal managed to do just fine without Ronaldo, beating Sweden 5-2 in their first game of the year.
Ronaldo’s number seven jersey hadn’t been worn by someone else since 2007, as the shirt became quite associated to the former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker.
Why Ronaldo didn’t play for Portugal against Sweden
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was included in Roberto Martinez’s squad for this international break, but the coach gave rest to a group of senior players during the first match.
Ronaldo was given time off last week to spend quality time with his family on a mini vacation in Saudi Arabia. He’s expected to suit up for the friendly against Slovenia on Tuesday.
Either way, it looks like Portugal are already starting to prepare for life after the veteran star. Ronaldo continues to be part of the national team, but he’s not getting any younger and his role has changed.
The 39-year-old already saw his playing time decrease at the 2022 World Cup, with former coach Fernando Santos benching Ronaldo in the knockout stages as Portugal beat Switzerland before being eliminated by Morocco. He will be back for more in 2024 though, as Ronaldo plans to take part in the European Championship in the summer.