THE FUSE

Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus has settled on the identity of the player who will wear the number 7 shirt during the clash against Denmark this Saturday evening, as part of the fifth round of the UEFA Nations League, and has also determined the names excluded from the match squad.

Club Brugge winger Carlos Forbs will wear the famous number 7 shirt vacated by Cristiano Ronaldo following his international retirement at the start of November. For years, that number belonged to the Portugal legend.

Ronaldo called time on his international career at the start of November after 23 years in a Portugal shirt. It closed an extraordinary era in which his name became bound to the number 7, one of the most iconic symbols in the national team's history.

He leaves the international stage as the most-capped player in the history of the game, with 234 appearances. He also tops the list of the world's leading international goalscorers on 146 goals.

Carlos Forbs, Ronaldo's temporary successor

Forbs will wear the number 7 against Denmark, but the shirt won't necessarily be his for good. Rafael Leao is the leading candidate to inherit it from Ronaldo, according to Portuguese newspaper "A Bola".

The winger had worn the same number on previous occasions, and several players carried it before him in Ronaldo's absence, ever since the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star made it his own at Euro 2008.

Tournament rules require national teams to pick player numbers from 1 to 23, so the number 7 had to go to someone in the current squad despite the absence of its expected permanent owner.

Leao misses Portugal's two matches through injury, which hands Forbs the chance to wear the number against Denmark.

Jesus leaves 3 players out of the matchday squad

With 27 players in camp, Jorge Jesus had to drop four from his matchday squad. One exclusion was unavoidable: Joao Cancelo, suspended for a single match.

The other three come one from each line of the team, and they are:

Goncalo Inacio: the Sporting Lisbon defender, who joined the camp late to cover for the injury of Tomas Araujo.

Matheus Fernandes: the Tottenham midfielder, one of the new faces in the squad for this call-up.

Gustavo Varela: the Monza striker, set to make his debut but ranked behind Goncalo Ramos and Fabio Silva among the out-and-out forwards.

Jesus has settled his choices before the clash with Denmark in Braga. All eyes now turn to Carlos Forbs, who will pull on the number 7 for the first time since Ronaldo's international retirement, even if only temporarily.

I am the Head of shifts and oversee content. I have over 15 years of experience in sports journalism. I studied media and have worked for a number of Arabic print newspapers and websites, but the most significant milestone in my career was joining Kooora, the leading Arabic sports website, in 2016.

I always strive to provide reliable content, backed by numbers and statistics, free from exaggeration. I love the language of numbers because it knows no flattery. I have covered major soccer events, with a special focus on highlighting Arab soccer stars and their impact on the global stage.

Throughout my career, my work has focused on covering soccer—whether Egyptian, Arab, or international—and my interest has now shifted to Saudi soccer, following the massive boom the Kingdom has experienced over the past few years.

I’ve been connected to soccer since childhood. My first memory of the sport dates back to the 1998 World Cup. Although I was only 8 years old at the time, the excitement of the matches drew me in deeply, and I can’t forget Zinedine Zidane’s brilliance in the final and how he led the French national team to its first title in the tournament.

Brazilian Ronaldo was one of the legends who contributed to my passion for soccer at the start of this century; his goal-scoring style was amazing—he never missed in front of the goal. Then Cristiano Ronaldo emerged, and to this day I consider him my favorite player, because he inspired me with a sense of challenge and an unwavering desire to win, and this has been reflected in my writing style.

My articles focus on coverage of the Saudi Pro League, as well as other leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League. I also follow the transfer market closely and try to analyze the deals.

If you asked me what my fondest soccer memory is, I couldn’t think of anything better than the moment Egypt qualified for the 2018 World Cup—especially since it was our first qualification in 28 years, and the first time I’d ever seen my national team compete in the world’s biggest soccer tournament.

As for my all-time favorite lineup, it is as follows: Iker Casillas in goal. Paolo Maldini, Sergio Ramos, Cafu, and Roberto Carlos on defense. Andrés Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldinho in midfield. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ronaldo Nazário up front.

Throughout my career, I’ve published a number of my favorite analyses and articles on Kooora, including:

A massive budget and a disappointing elimination... Why did Al Ahly fail at the Club World Cup?

Concerns over Salah’s rest and the opening of the black file... Will Liverpool regret the Firts deal?

The Benzema Law rules Al-Nassr... Ronaldo charts his future the French way

Alonso solves Klopp’s puzzle… Arnold: from defensive liability to offensive weapon

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