The Portuguese Football Federation staged a grand tribute to retired legend Cristiano Ronaldo during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark at the Braga Municipal Stadium.
Ronaldo recently retired from international football, concluding a historic career. The 41-year-old earned a world-record 234 senior caps and netted an unmatched 146 goals for his nation.
Fans initiated the four-part celebration outside the stadium by leaving heartfelt thank-you messages for their former captain before kickoff.
During the pre-match entrance, Portugal’s starting eleven and their young mascots wore specially designed shirts featuring the iconic number 7 to honour Ronaldo’s enduring legacy.
Starting with this fifth-round Nations League fixture, the federation officially retired Ronaldo’s specific jersey font, introducing a redesigned number 7 graphic to immortalise his historic achievements.
In the stands, supporters raised cardboard cutouts to form a massive mosaic displaying ‘Ronaldo’ on the upper tier and ‘GOAT’ on the lower tier.
A giant banner reading “Thank you, Captain!” complemented the visual display, honouring the leadership of the national team’s most indispensable figure.
The tribute peaked in the seventh minute as giant stadium screens flashed the same thank-you message while the entire crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
Throughout the match, stadium boards also displayed Instagram messages of gratitude from fans, pausing only during the seventh-minute applause.
Ronaldo leaves behind an unmatched legacy, having scored 11 goals across six consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments, culminating in three goals at the 2026 finals in North America.
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