Hojlund's 'siuuu' tribute to 'idol' Ronaldo falls short as Ronaldo-less Portugal beat Denmark 4-2
Hojlund honours his idol as Ronaldo-less Portugal still prevail
Rasmus Hojlund paid tribute to his "idol" Cristiano Ronaldo in the best way he knew how on Thursday night, netting for Denmark against Portugal in the Nations League before pulling out the great man's trademark "siuuu" celebration.
What made the gesture stand out was who it honoured: a man who was not even on the pitch. Ronaldo, 41, sensationally left Portugal's squad earlier this week — reportedly after a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus over his game time — and the iconic forward's future with the national team is now unclear. Portugal, missing their talisman, still coped without him and ran out 4-2 winners in Copenhagen.
"I just wanted to dedicate my goal to my idol," Hojlund said. "For everything Cristiano is going through at this point in his career, he will never be forgotten."
A salute to football's record goalscorer
Hojlund's homage was aimed at the most prolific scorer international football has ever seen. Ronaldo is the highest-scoring player in the history of the men's international game with 146 goals, while his career tally across club and country stands at a staggering 979 goals. Add five Ballon d'Or awards to the equation and the scale of the legacy the Danish striker was saluting becomes clear — a legacy Hojlund insists will endure long after the current uncertainty is resolved.
Timely answer after a tough week
For Hojlund, the goal also served as a personal response. Just over a week earlier, on September 21, Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri had branded the Danish striker "pig-headed" after hauling him off in the 58th minute of Napoli's 1-1 Serie A draw at Fiorentina. To come back onto the international stage and score — before delivering such a striking gesture of respect — was some way to silence the noise around his form.
The former Manchester United striker's words underlined Ronaldo's enduring influence on a generation of attacking players, even as the veteran's own situation grows ever more complicated.
An eventful few weeks for the record-breaker
Ronaldo has had plenty to deal with away from the pitch, too. In September, he publicly demanded action from the Saudi Pro League after supporters were heard directing chants referencing Diogo Jota at Al-Hilal midfielder Rúben Neves, writing to his 680 million Instagram followers: "The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour. This is no longer football, and there have to be limits. People who behave like this should never be allowed to enter a stadium again." The league subsequently fined and banned Al-Taawoun over the incident, while Al-Hilal lodged an official complaint of their own.
On the pitch, FotMob data shows the Al Nassr forward has scored three goals in six Saudi Pro League appearances in the current season. For now, though, the focus shifts squarely to resolving his Portugal situation following this week's dramatic walkout — with Hojlund's touching tribute a reminder of the standing the record-breaker still commands across the game.