German forward Jamie Leweling was surprised to receive Germany’s legendary number 9 shirt for the 2026 World Cup.
Instead of taking it solemnly, he decided to react with humor and football nostalgia: he edited his Instagram profile picture by blending his face with Ronaldo Nazário’s, including the iconic haircut the Brazilian wore at the 2002 World Cup.
There was one detail that made the reference even more special: Ronaldo scored two goals against Germany precisely in the 2002 World Cup final and lifted Brazil’s fifth World Cup title.
The curious thing is that Leweling wears the number 18 at his club. But FIFA requires numbers from 1 to 26 to be assigned in the World Cup, and he ended up inheriting a shirt loaded with symbolism.