Cristiano Ronaldo took to the 2026 World Cup pitch in style for the second time as he scored two goals for Portugal against Uzbekistan.
The match was the second of Portugal‘s World Cup stint and saw them claim a 5-0 victory.
And with Portugal taking on Colombia this weekend, eagle-eyed footie fans might be wondering something about Ronaldo‘s kit.
The iconic player, who was born on the Portuguese island of Madeira, rarely wears long sleeves when he gets kitted out.
For many years, Ronaldo has worn a long-sleeved football jersey almost every time he’s taken to the pitch.
It’s become his signature look – and this year’s World Cup appearances have proved that’s not set to change.
Nobody knows exactly why Ronaldo opts for long sleeves for matches.
It might be a fashion choice or a comfort preference – although some fans think it might stem from superstition.
The last two memorable occasions that saw Ronaldo play in a typical short-sleeved footie strip were the World Cup 2006 and the 2004 Euros before that.
Portugal faced a gutting loss in both tournaments, during which Ronaldo donned short sleeves.
At the 2020 Euros, which took place in 2021 due to the pandemic, Ronaldo swapped a long-sleeved shirt for short sleeves at half time when Portugal took on Belgium.
After ditching the long sleeves, Portugal lost 1-0 to Belgium at the end of the match.
Since then, we haven’t seen Ronaldo compete in short sleeves.
It’s thought that the choice might also be related to keeping his arms compressed in order to increase circulation – as well as to protect his arms from grazes on the grass.
