Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium provided an unexpected Cristiano Ronaldo tribute on Thursday, even with Portugal’s captain absent from the pitch. Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund marked his goal against the Portuguese by reproducing the celebration long associated with the 40-year-old forward.
Hojlund, now with Napoli after his spell at Manchester United, drew Denmark level with the hosts’ second goal of the match. Sent through one-on-one with Diogo Costa, he lifted the ball over the Portugal goalkeeper with composure before turning to Ronaldo’s familiar routine: the arm movement, leap with arms spread and the shouted “Siuuu”.
The Danish striker has previously spoken of his admiration for Ronaldo and had used the same celebration after scoring against Portugal in their meeting last year. This time, the gesture came on a night when Ronaldo’s absence was the central backdrop to the international fixture.
Ronaldo did not feature after leaving Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday following a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus. He had been seen at Parken, but departed before the final training session ahead of the Denmark match, shortly after a contentious press conference involving the Portugal manager.
The forward has since left Denmark and will also miss Portugal’s next match, against Norway in Porto on Sunday. With the dispute unresolved, Ronaldo’s immediate future with the national team remains uncertain.
