"No, no, no, no": Portugal player refuses to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo

A very heavy legacy

Rodrigo Mora has turned down the chance to inherit Cristiano Ronaldo's number 7 shirt for Portugal, insisting the number he already wears suits him just fine.

Born in 2007, Mora spent recent months sharing a dressing room with Ronaldo before the captain called time on his international career. The Porto teenager was keen to pay tribute to one of the game's great figures.

Speaking in comments carried by the Tribuna website, Mora said: "I was extremely lucky to play with Cristiano and share the dressing room with him, as he is everyone's role model. He has retired from international football, and Portugal thanks him greatly for everything he has given."

His answer came quick and with a grin when the subject of the number 7 turned up. "No, no, no, I don't think about that, it is far too much for me, the number 86 suits me."

The reluctance is understandable. Ronaldo left behind an extraordinary legacy in a Portugal shirt, finishing as the country's all-time top scorer and leading them to the European Championship in 2016 and two Nations League titles. Mora has no wish to carry the weight of that comparison.

One of the brightest prospects in Portuguese football, Mora came up through Porto's academy and has started to force his way into the first team. Many expect him to play a big part in the national side's future.