Cristiano Ronaldo could do nothing but watch as Rasmus Højlund hit his own celebration after the Manchester United striker scored the winner for Denmark against Portugal.
Despite Højlund's poor form for Manchester United as of late, the 22-year-old came up huge for his country in the first leg of Denmark's UEFA Nations League quarterfinal tie against Portugal. With the game deadlocked at 0–0, Brian Riemer called on Højlund off the bench in the 69th minute.
Nine minutes later, Højlund found the back of the net and secured Denmark's 1–0 victory over Portugal. With Ronaldo just a few yards behind him, Højlund hit the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's "I'm here" and "SIU" celebrations.
Rasmus Højlund hit the "Siuuu" after his goal for Denmark vs Portugal... as Cristiano Ronaldo looked on 😬😅 pic.twitter.com/0eVHRnfLgN
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 20, 2025
The goal gives Denmark the edge heading into the second leg of the tie on Sunday, Mar. 23 in Portugal. Riemer's men could have had a two-goal advantage, but Christian Eriksen failed to convert from the spot in the 24th minute.
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"It was fantastic, it was a great day in many ways," said Højlund after the match. "I played against my idol [Ronaldo] and scored and was the match-winner. It couldn't have been written much better."
The moment must come as a relief for Højlund. The striker has received plenty of criticism this season for his lack of production; he has just one goal to his name in 2025. That goal, though, came just before the international break in United's 0–3 victory over Leicester City in the Premier League.
Højlund now has found the back of the net in back-to-back matches for just the second time this season. He still has a long way to go, though, before he can become a truly reliable option for both Ruben Amorim and Riemer.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, managed zero shots on target in 90 minutes against Denmark. The Real Madrid legend will need to put in a better performance on Sunday if he wants to get Portugal to the semifinals.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rasmus Hojlund Mocks Cristiano Ronaldo After Scoring Winner vs. Portugal.
