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Amid his self-imposed international exile, Cristiano Ronaldo has found an unlikely ally in Denmark striker Rasmus Højlund, a European rival of Portugal.
The Napoli forward netted against a Portugal squad recently deprived of their record-setting captain on Thursday evening, celebrating with Ronaldo's iconic 'Siuuuu' gesture. Far from mocking the absent legend, Højlund was eager to clarify that the celebration was a "tribute" to his "great idol."
Portugal held a 2–1 advantage at the beginning of the second half in Copenhagen, with goals from flowing team moves converted by João Cancelo and, notably, Gonçalo Ramos — the player Jorge Jesus has selected to fill the void left by a disgruntled Ronaldo. Within 10 minutes of the second half resuming, Højlund leveled for the home side before wheeling away to deliver a meaningful celebration.
"It's simply a tribute to a man who may have played his last game for his country — given what happened," Højlund told Danish outlet TV 2, referencing Ronaldo's dramatic international departure on Wednesday. "I just wanted to honor him one more time. There's no disrespect intended. He is my great idol."
HØJLUUUUNDDD!!!
Rasmus Højlund afslutter et dansk kontraangreb med et frækt lob over den portugisiske keeper 🤩#ForDanmark pic.twitter.com/pkuN5TWbOk
This isn't the first time Højlund has pulled out the 'Siuuuu' celebration. Back in March 2025, the forward performed the same spinning jump in a 1–0 victory while Ronaldo was actually on the pitch. Once again, Højlund emphasized it was a gesture of admiration rather than provocation. "I remember watching him score from a free kick in 2009, and I've been a massive Cristiano fan ever since," he explained at the time.
At least Ronaldo can count on one devoted supporter. There seem to be fewer and fewer of those back in Portugal.
'I've Been Told'—Ronaldo's Portugal Teammate Makes Intriguing Admission
Even following a 4–2 victory, Ronaldo remained the sole talking point among the Portuguese camp. It's a rare occurrence when the face of a national team for over two decades storms out of camp after being benched for a single match — one Portugal won — amid reports of broken promises and fractured relationships.
Renato Veiga, however, inadvertently revealed that he had been instructed to avoid discussing his compatriot and close friend.
"I am very close to Ronaldo, and he knows I have great respect for him, but I've been told I'm not allowed to talk about him," Veiga confessed following Thursday's win.
Portugal manager Jesus attempted to be equally guarded. "I have nothing to say about it," he responded sharply to the first of many questions about the nation's all-time leading scorer. "No one is bigger than the team; that is crystal clear."
"Everyone must respect the rules," Jesus added pointedly. "It has always been my philosophy as a coach that no one is above the team."
"In my view, today was one of our best performances in a long time," the Portugal boss was keen to emphasize. "We also have to acknowledge that we are winning without Cris, and that is what matters. It is the team that wins."