Portugal: Rodrigo Mora refuses Cristiano Ronaldo's No. 7

Born in 2007, a year before Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in a Manchester United shirt, Rodrigo Mora had the opportunity to share a dressing room with CR7. Out of respect for the legend, he has made a big decision.

Rodrigo Mora had the chance to share a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo over the past few months. The Porto youth product appreciates that opportunity, and paid tribute to the five-time Ballon d’Or in an interview with DAZN this weekend. “I was very lucky to play with Cristiano and share a dressing room with him; he’s everyone’s idol. He has retired from international football, and Portugal is very grateful to him for everything he has done.” Asked whether he might take Cristiano Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt, Rodrigo Mora declined: “No, no, no, no, I’m not thinking about that. No. 86 is fine,” he joked.

Ronaldo, an emotional message

To announce his retirement from international football, Cristiano Ronaldo shared an emotional message on social media. “To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team. I never felt that it belonged exclusively to me, but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it and taking it with me to stadiums all over the world. Today, the time has come to pass this legacy on to future generations. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are made not only with reason, but also with the heart. A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end,” he said.

Read also: DR Congo: Willy Kambwala withdraws, Magloire Ntambwe Kalonji called up

Joshua SOSSOU

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As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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