Why did Portugal give away Ronaldo’s No. 7?

7 vs 10

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo’s dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus escalated after the team’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway.

Ronaldo never made it onto the pitch. Jesus explained that he had planned to bring the forward on for around half an hour, but the course of the match changed his plans. The coach stressed that Ronaldo had been physically fit to play.

Ronaldo’s account, set out in a detailed statement on October 6, went beyond frustration over missing a match. According to the forward, Jesus had initially proposed a schedule allowing him to skip the away fixtures against Norway and Denmark. Those plans then changed, and the coach promised Ronaldo 30 minutes against the Norwegians.

He warmed up and waited, but the call to come on never arrived.

The disagreement then moved from the touchline to a private meeting. Ronaldo said he and Jesus had agreed on an eight-point explanation that the coach would deliver publicly. It was intended to clarify that the player had never demanded playing time and had respected the manager’s decisions. When Jesus’s subsequent press conference did not reflect that agreement, Ronaldo left the national team camp before the match against Denmark.

In his statement, the forward apologized to supporters and teammates, accepted responsibility for leaving, and said he remained ready to represent Portugal after any potential punishment. He stressed that his departure did not mean he was retiring from international football.

In response, fans began unfollowing Portugal’s official Instagram account in large numbers. The national team’s account lost 2 million followers in 48 hours.

The dispute also took on a personal dimension. Against Denmark, Ronaldo’s shirt number went to Rafael Leão, while Rúben Dias took the captain’s armband. Portugal won 4-2. The famous No. 7 had been handed to another player even though its best-known wearer had not announced his international retirement.

The contrast with Lionel Messi was difficult to miss. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi’s No. 10 would remain vacant until his farewell match against Benin. Portugal, meanwhile, fielded another player wearing No. 7 in its first match after Ronaldo left the squad.

The law is involved

FBI director Kash Patel and country singer Alexis Wilkins have announced their engagement.

Wilkins shared a black-and-white photograph showing her ring, captioned: “Went and got the law involved.”

Patel reposted it with heart and ring emojis.

The 46-year-old FBI chief and the 27-year-old singer have been together for around three and a half years.

Whatever it takes. Again

The Avengers have assembled once more to defeat Avatar.

Following its Encore rerelease, Avengers: Endgame reclaimed the title of the highest-grossing film in worldwide box-office history.

Disney estimates its cumulative earnings at $2.925 billion, narrowly surpassing Avatar’s $2.923 billion.

Serving looks on clay

Lacoste returned to Roland-Garros to present its latest collection.

Creative director Pelagia Kolotouros’s Spring/Summer 2027 show took place on the Philippe Chatrier court. The collection paired relaxed tailoring, oversized polos and pleated skirts with white pieces whose hems were deliberately “stained” with clay.

The palette combined earthy tones, cobalt blue and acid yellow. Accessories included a soft bag inspired by a polo collar and sculptural footwear referencing a tennis net.

The collection was titled Dress Code: No White Required.

MrBeast eats rice… or pilaf

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, plans to visit Tashkent on October 9. The fan event is being organized by Uzbekistan’s Art and Culture Development Foundation.

The program includes interactive games, trivia and prizes. Attendance is free, with guests selected randomly from registered applicants. Applications are open through October 8 to participants over 18.

Dear diary, Jeremy is back

Actor Steven R. McQueen, who played Elena Gilbert’s younger brother Jeremy, rarely appears in public but attended a fan convention in Paris on October 3 and 4.

Alongside former castmates including Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley and Kat Graham, he posed for photographs with fans and took part in a panel discussion.

East of Eden, top of Netflix

East of Eden debuted at No. 1 on the platform’s global English-language television chart for the week ending October 4, recording 6.5 million views.

The seven-part adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel stars Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames, alongside Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist. The series was developed by Zoë Kazan, granddaughter of the director behind the 1955 film adaptation. At its heart are rivalries within the Trask family, emotional wounds passed down through generations, and difficult choices.

You can read last week’s edition of Popcorn in form here.