The best No. 7s in club football right now

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo is the new Juventus No. 7

Perhaps the player who has been synonymous with the No.7 jersey over the years is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese Superstar has added to the glamour, qualities and history of the coveted No. 7 like few other players since the inception of the numbering system.

It is rumoured that when he joined Manchester United, Ronaldo wanted his old jersey number from Sporting, the No. 28. But Sir Alex Ferguson was adamant. David Beckham had recently moved to Real Madrid and the iconic No. 7 was lying vacant.

It is said that Sir Alex was confident that the lanky teenager would thrive in the jersey and commanded Ronaldo to pick up the number. The rest, as they say, is history. The Manchester United No. 7 is perhaps the hardest squad number to live up to, but Ronaldo did just that and a lot more, elevating the squad number to even higher from its already legendary standards.

As if succeeding in one No. 7 was not enough, Ronaldo took over the No. 7 from Raul at Real Madrid and reached even greater heights, winning personal and team awards consistently. Ronaldo also wears the No. 7 jersey for Portugal, taking up the mantle from the legendary Figo.

Now, he has picked up the No. 7 jersey at Juventus and while it is not the most famous in the world, there have been some fantastic players who have played under that number for the club, like Paolo Di Canio.

The stage is set for Ronaldo now, to shine at his new club and perhaps be the only player to shine as a No. 7 in three different leagues. With Cristiano Ronaldo, you know that it might just happen.

#7 Fact: Ronaldo has only worn two other numbers in his club career – the No. 28 at Sporting for the 2002/03 season and the No. 9 at Real Madrid for the 2009/10 season.