Mar 20, 2025, 07:32 PM ET
Rasmus Højlund has clarified that his use of Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature ‘Siu’ celebration after scoring the winning goal for Denmark against Portugal was not intended to mock the legendary player. This moment occurred during their UEFA Nations League quarterfinal match in Copenhagen on Thursday.
Højlund, who came off the bench, netted the decisive goal in the 78th minute, leading Denmark to a 1-0 victory. After scoring, the Manchester United forward ran to the corner of the pitch to celebrate, all while Ronaldo looked on.
“It’s for my idol,” Højlund explained to Danish broadcaster TV2 after the match. “It wasn’t to mock him or anything. He’s had such a huge impact on me and my football career. Scoring against him and Portugal is just enormous for me.”
“I remember watching him score a free kick back in 2011, and since then, I’ve been a massive fan of Cristiano.”
Højlund has faced challenges finding the back of the net this season with Manchester United, the same club where Ronaldo earned his first Ballon d’Or in 2008.
In the first half, another Manchester United player, Christian Eriksen, had the chance to put Denmark ahead with a penalty. However, Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa made a great save, diving to his right to deny Eriksen, who had been successful in 12 consecutive penalty attempts for Denmark since missing one in 2016.
Ronaldo, who recently set a new record with 218 international appearances, did not add to his impressive tally of 135 international goals during this match.