Ronaldo and his teammates in the Portuguese national team just suffered a 0-1 defeat to Denmark in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. This was a CR7 match played from the start but he did not leave much of an impression. Many players of the "European Selecao" have also shown fatigue after a long period of hard work at club level.
Ronaldo started but did not score, while Rasmus Hojlund from Denmark only came from the bench but scored the only goal of the match. The most notable highlight was the moment Hojlund made Ronaldo's "Siu" celebration right in front of the 40-year-old superstar.
After the match, Hojlund was criticized on social media. Many people thought that the Man United star was too weak in front of his seniors. The 22-year-old striker himself had to play and explain that he did not mean it. Hojlund also said CR7 was his biggest idol in his career.
As for Ronaldo, he did not care much about the story surrounding Hojlund. On the contrary, CR7 was happy that someone had another famous player copycating his brand celebration.
"For me, that celebration is not a problem. I know Hojlund has no disrespect. I know not only Hojlund, but many other players in the world are also doing that celebration. For me, it is an honor.
However, in the return match on March 23, Hojlund hopes to see that celebration from me. If I could have scored directly, that would be great. However, if someone else in the team can do that, everything will be fine" - Ronaldo shared before the rematch between the two teams.
Nearly 3 days after losing in Denmark, Portugal will return to Jose Alvalade's home stadium in the capital Lisbon to welcome the "Leading Soldiers". In the past, the "European Selecao" had won the Nations League. The whole team is determined to recreate history, thereby temporarily forgetting the failures at the 2022 World Cup and EURO 2024.
As for Ronaldo personally, the 2025 Nations League and the 2026 World Cup will be the last 2 tournaments he will play for the national team. By the biggest football festival on the planet next year, the Al-Nassr striker will turn 42. CR7 still need a World Cup title to compete with Lionel Messi.
In terms of individual achievements, Ronaldo has scored 928 goals in his career. At the age of 40 in the Saudi Arabian Championship, he still has an impressive scoring record. As of this point in the season, CR7 has scored 28 goals. Especially in the Saudi Pro League, the Portuguese superstar has scored 19 goals in 24 matches.
