Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother couldn’t help but burst into tears as she watched her son produce another masterclass for Portugal.
The Manchester United star was on fire once again as he scored twice for his country in their 4-0 Nations League victory over Switzerland. Not only did Ronaldo bag a brace, but he also recorded an assist as he responded in fine fashion to being named on the bench against Spain just a few days earlier.
Ronaldo’s double extends his record-breaking international tally to 117 goals for Portugal, and capped off an emotional night for him and his family. The 37-year-old scored his first international goals since the tragic death of his new-born son in April.
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Just as he did after scoring for United, Ronaldo celebrated by pointing to the sky. His mother, Maria Dolores, was seen in the crowd in tears while wearing a Portugal shirt bearing her son’s iconic number seven.
The occasion was perhaps made all the more poignant by the location. Ronaldo bagged his latest goals at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, home of Sporting Lisbon, where the five-time Ballon d’Or winner of course spent his early years before securing a move to United at the age of 18.
It was at the same ground in 2003 that the teenage Ronaldo came up against United in a friendly, and caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson, beginning his journey to becoming a superstar. Since then, he's gone on to become the world’s all-time leading goalscorer.
And United fans will be hoping to see him bag plenty more goals next season, with Ronaldo recently dropping his biggest hint yet that he intends to stay at Old Trafford. “I was and still am very happy to be here,” Ronaldo said after winning the club’s Player of the Year award.
"For me, the most important thing is to try to win the games and try to win some championship or some cup but I believe that Manchester will be where they belong. As I say before, sometimes it takes time but I still believe."
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