Leao fails to shine in Ronaldo's No. 7 shirt while Hojlund celebrates with 'siuuum'

Minute 63. When the assistant coach raised the electronic board with the numbers 17 and 7, I quickly wrote in my notebook: "Leao leaves the pitch, shakes no hands, walks straight down the tunnel." That moment said more than any statistic. Rafael Leao had just been handed Cristiano Ronaldo's No. 7 shirt – a legacy heavier than a hundred kilograms of pressure. On the day Portugal officially closed the CR7 chapter, the man expected to replace him did not shine. He hit the post with a cut-inside shot on his right foot, missed from a few metres out, and lost the ball three times in dangerous areas. In the stands, banners with Ronaldo's image remained – silent witnesses to the harshness of elite football. The match between Portugal and Denmark ended 4-2 for the home side, but that score was not the main focus. A few days earlier, the Portugal head coach – a man shaped by Portuguese football – had announced that the Ronaldo chapter was "more or less definitively closed" for him. "I am completely calm, with a clear conscience," he said in the pre-match press conference, pre-empting criticism. The decision was not only technical but also a political signal in the dressing room: the team must learn to live without its greatest ever hero. And the No. 7 shirt, instead of being retired to a museum, was given to Leao – a talented but erratic winger. This context explains why a friendly carried the weight of a final. Denmark, with their mobility and good organisation, showed they were no pushovers. They scored twice, caused problems for Portugal's defence, and the match became open and exciting, with chances at both ends. Let's talk about Leao fairly. He was not terrible, but he was not good enough in a match where every camera was pointed at him. It was a performance with three shades: a flash of brilliance (the cut inside and shot onto the post), a moment of frustration (the missed chance from close range), and a consequence (the giveaways that forced teammates to run back and cover). The truth is that Leao is a "high-variance" winger – capable of a moment of genius, but also capable of making the whole team pay for immature decisions. Being substituted on 63 minutes, in the first official match of the post-CR7 era, was not a fitness call. It was a tactical verdict. The coach needed someone who would keep possession better, move more intelligently, and above all not cost the team for the sake of flair. Goncalo Ramos, meanwhile, provided a decisive answer. One goal, one assist, and above all a commanding presence inside the box. Ramos does not need elaborate celebrations; he simply makes the right run at the right time, takes clean touches, and does the job of a modern No. 9. Ramos's emergence suggests Portugal's attacking axis may be shifting from the left channel – Ronaldo's old territory – into the central lane, where short combination play and constant movement make the difference. This is a change far more significant than a friendly win: it reshapes how Portugal will approach the opponent's goal in the years ahead. And then there was Hojlund. The Dane scored, and immediately he performed the "siuuum" – Ronaldo's trademark celebration. In previous interviews, Hojlund had called Ronaldo his idol. But on the pitch, the gesture could be read two ways: a genuine tribute, or a bold statement that "I am the rightful heir." From my years of following young players, celebrations like this are usually calculated – they speak not only to the crowd but to millions of social-media followers and potential sponsors. Hojlund, a young striker, just upgraded his personal brand to a new level without uttering a single word. The media tends to rush to conclusions: "Leao is a flop" or "Portugal have already forgotten Ronaldo." Both are premature, based on a single data point: one match. The 4-2 victory, on closer inspection, was a wide-open game – Portugal scored four but also conceded two. That means the attacking play is not yet stable, and the defence is paying for an overly open approach. Against a better-organised opponent, the story might have been different. As for Leao, the early substitution could be a message from the coaching staff, but it could also be part of a squad-rotation experiment. Wingers need time and trust to unlock their full potential. After all, Ronaldo himself was heavily criticised in his early international years before becoming a legend. Judging a player on one match is something experienced reporters like us always avoid. The real question is not "Is Leao worthy of the No. 7?" The larger question is: "How will Portugal construct a new attacking identity in the post-CR7 era?" The next matches against similar-quality opponents will be the real test. Will Ramos maintain his role as the focal point? Will Leao get more chances, or will he make way for new faces? And will the No. 7, a sacred symbol, become a burden rather than an inspiration? In top-level football, nothing is more valuable than consistency. And consistency can only be proven over time.