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Carlos Forbs may not have made his mark at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the lightning-quick 22-year-old winger has been handed the responsibility of becoming Portugal's first No. 7 since Cristiano Ronaldo stepped away from international football.
There has been considerable debate over who would inherit a number that has become inseparably associated with one player for more than two decades, particularly since Portugal cannot retire the shirt number under FIFA's strict numerical rules.
While Lionel Scaloni was able to name an Argentina squad without assigning a new No. 10 in Lionel Messi's first absence given the friendly nature of Friday's match against Uruguay, the Nations League regulations have forced Jorge Jesus's hand ahead of Saturday's encounter with Denmark.
The experienced coach who played a pivotal role in Ronaldo's sudden international retirement has now turned attention to the unexpected figure of Forbs, who will don the No. 7 for at least this month, as confirmed by Portugal's official squad list on UEFA's website.
For those who only witnessed the diminutive speedster during his disappointing loan stint at Wolves in a 2024–25 season spent battling relegation fears, this distinction may come as a shock. Nevertheless, the Club Brugge attacker could prove to be an inspired selection.
Who Is Portugal's New No. 7 Carlos Forbs?
The signs that Forbs would inherit the No. 7 had always been present. Galatasaray's dynamic winger Rafael Leão had been assigned the number when Ronaldo stormed out of Portugal's September–October camp, but was absent from November's squad due to a muscle injury.
The likes of João Félix, Pedro Neto, Francisco Trincão, or Geovany Quenda could all have plausibly taken on the role. Roma's teenage sensation Rodrigo Mora publicly distanced himself from the shirt this month. "No, no, no, I don't think about that, it is far too much for me," he said with a grin. However, when Ronaldo was previously absent from the Portugal squad, it was Forbs who stepped up to the plate.
After being tricked into an unnecessary red card against the Republic of Ireland a year ago, Ronaldo's No. 7 shirt was passed to Forbs. The winger came off the bench to earn a penalty in Portugal's 9–1 demolition of Armenia.
That remained Forbs's sole senior international appearance heading into the November break. The Club Brugge forward missed out on the World Cup squad and was passed over for the autumn fixtures, but Jesus could no longer overlook him.
Forbs has long been regarded as a player of tremendous potential. The explosive left-footed winger joined Manchester City's academy at the age of 10 and developed into one of the club's most thrilling prospects, being named the Premier League 2 Player of the Season in 2022–23. That summer, Ajax paid €14 million ($15.4 million) for a teenager who had yet to make a single senior appearance.
A turbulent debut season at an Ajax side that cycled through four managers in three months persuaded Forbs to head back to England on loan at Wolves. It never worked out.
"To do what I want in this system is difficult for him when we are defending," Wolves' Portuguese manager Vítor Pereira explained, highlighting how his preferred back-three setup left little space for a traditional winger like Forbs. "He doesn't have the skill to go and come back to defend, it's difficult.
"It's not about his quality because he has quality, he's strong one against one, he's very fast. But in my system, he cannot play inside in between the lines because he doesn't have these skills. And to play outside is a different profile of player."
Carlos Forbs's Premier League Stats
Despite staying fit for the majority of the season, Forbs was handed just one Premier League start throughout the campaign and featured only twice after the new year.
Upon his return to the Netherlands, Ajax cut their losses and sold Forbs to Club Brugge in 2025, where he would rediscover the promise that had always been simmering beneath the surface.
Finally thriving in a system that played to his strengths, Forbs reached double figures for both goals and assists during a triumphant debut campaign that delivered the Belgian top-flight title. The compact winger has made an even more impressive start to the new season, providing a prolific threat domestically while also catching the eye in the Champions League. Forbs won a penalty and set up two goals in Brugge's memorable 4–3 win over Inter Milan at San Siro in October before netting in back-to-back games against Lens and PSV Eindhoven.
"To me, Forbs's story is quite typical for a footballer," his coach Ivan Leko noted earlier this season. "Sometimes, there are clubs, countries, or coaches that simply aren't the right fit for you at a certain stage of your career. Seeing him now, I'm just glad he's playing for us and not for the opposition." Portuguese supporters may soon echo that sentiment.