A Dutch airline has found a curious way to honour Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal legend and Al-Nassr captain, marking his international retirement with a gesture the Portuguese national team itself never made.
Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, drawing the curtain on 23 years with Portugal. In that time he lifted the Euro 2016 title and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
Just 24 hours after that announcement, Dutch carrier Transavia decided to withhold seat number "7C" from flights bound for Funchal, the Portuguese city where Ronaldo was born.
On its official Instagram account, the company shared a photo taken inside one of its aircraft. Ronaldo's number 7 Portugal shirt was draped over one of the seats.
"CR7 is hanging up his boots, and our seat number 7C has also been withheld from our flights to Funchal," the company said in its statement.
Funchal is one of roughly 110 destinations served by Transavia's fleet around the world. The airline chose this flight to his birthplace to commemorate Ronaldo's international retirement.
Portugal, by contrast, took no such step. The national team must comply with FIFA and UEFA regulations, which forbid the withholding of any player's shirt, whatever his name.