Rasmus Hojlund’s recent Denmark appearances have carried a personal meaning beyond the scoreline. The Napoli forward has again used Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration, not as a provocation, but as a public acknowledgement of the player who shaped his earliest ambitions.
An idol behind the celebration
Hojlund found the net in Denmark’s match against Portugal, making it 2-2 at the time after Mikkel Damsgaard released him into space. Running through on Diogo Costa, the striker finished with a delicate chipped touch and then performed Ronaldo’s familiar “Siuu” celebration.
He explained afterwards that the gesture was intended for Ronaldo, whose career remains central to Hojlund’s own idea of what a footballer can become. “I wanted Cristiano to know that there are still players inspired by everything he has achieved,” Hojlund said. “He has given so much to football and I have nothing but respect for him.”
The Danish international said he may later appreciate how fortunate he was to have played in the same era as his childhood hero. Watching Ronaldo, he added, had been a major reason for his attachment to the game, while his own target remains to reach the highest possible level.
A moment of tension with Portugal
The celebration came amid a sensitive period for Ronaldo, who has become less central to Portugal’s technical plans and left the national-team camp for Madrid on his private flight. Hojlund said he wanted his goal to underline that Ronaldo’s standing in the game will outlast any difficult spell near the end of his career.
“His name will never be forgotten in this sport,” Hojlund said. “His legacy is larger than whatever hard moment he may be going through.”
There was also a brief confrontation after the match when Jorge Jesus approached Hojlund to congratulate him and patted him on the chest. The Denmark striker moved him away, an action that drew a restrained response from Portugal’s coach.
“I do not know what made him do it,” the Portugal manager said. “He is still a young player and I do not intend to get angry. I simply do my job.”
From childhood routine to senior football
Hojlund’s admiration for Ronaldo has been a constant rather than a recent response to their international meetings. As a boy, he repeatedly told his father Anders that he wanted to become as good as the Portuguese forward.
Anders Hojlund has recalled finding his son training alone on the floor of his bedroom shortly after saying he would copy Ronaldo in every aspect of life, not merely on the pitch. Sit-ups, push-ups and other exercises became part of the youngster’s evening routine.
Hojlund has also described a Ronaldo shirt in his collection as the finest he has received. Their Manchester United paths narrowly failed to cross: Ronaldo departed in 2022 during his second spell at Old Trafford, while Hojlund arrived a year later.
When he joined English football, Hojlund made clear that Ronaldo’s winning mentality was his reference point. Ronaldo wanted to be the best, he said, and Hojlund’s own aim was to become the strongest version of himself.
A respectful rivalry
This was not the first time Hojlund had celebrated a goal against Portugal with Ronaldo’s signature gesture. After Denmark’s Nations League victory over Portugal, he issued an apology to ensure it would not be read as mockery.
He stressed that he had never intended to ridicule Ronaldo and that he had been playing against the player he regarded as the world’s best and as his own idol. The latest tribute attracted less attention on the field because Ronaldo was not involved.
Hojlund remains a long way from Ronaldo’s tally of almost 1,000 career goals, but his recent international return has been encouraging: two goals in the past two weeks and a contribution that forced an own goal for Denmark. For Napoli, it is another reminder that their centre-forward is carrying confidence from the international break into the wider rhythm of the season.
