[Saba Sports News] The Portuguese Football Federation has announced the squad numbers Portugal’s players will wear at this year’s World Cup. First-choice goalkeeper Diogo Costa will don the No.1 jersey for Portugal for the very first time, while Rúben Neves inherits the No.21 shirt vacated by Diogo Jota.
Diogo Costa stepped up as Portugal’s starting keeper as early as the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, Rui Patrício was still part of the national setup for both the 2022 Qatar World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and retained the No.1 jersey throughout those two tournaments. Even though Costa had already established himself as Portugal’s top goalkeeper back then, he was assigned the No.22 shirt. This is the first major international tournament without Rui Patrício in the squad, allowing Diogo Costa to officially claim the national team’s iconic No.1 jersey. His former No.22 has been handed to third-choice stopper Rui Silva, and backup goalkeeper José Sá keeps his No.12 jersey as usual.
Previously, Rúben Neves wore the No.18 shirt for Portugal. He was best friends with Diogo Jota, who passed away in a car accident last summer. For this World Cup, Neves has taken over the No.21 jersey his late friend wore during his playing career. Alongside his Portuguese teammates, he harbours a shared goal: to lift the World Cup trophy as a tribute to Jota’s memory.
In my view, granting Diogo Jota’s iconic No.21 jersey to Rúben Neves is a heartfelt decision made by the Portuguese Football Federation with consent from Jota’s family, representing an emotional and spiritual legacy. The move honours the pair’s profound friendship forged on the pitch, serves as a lasting commemoration of the departed footballer, and carries symbolic motivation to drive the whole squad forward.