Hojlund and the Ronaldo-style celebration: 'It was just a tribute' | OneFootball

Rasmus Hojlund, the striker who scored Denmark’s second goal in the defeat to Portugal (2-4), explained why he imitated the iconic celebration of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was unavailable after leaving the Portugal squad.

"It was simply a tribute to a man who may have played his last match for the national team. All the more so after what happened," he said in comments to TV2.

"Yes, I just wanted to pay tribute to him once again. It has nothing to do with disrespect. He is my great idol," he added.

It is worth noting that, the last time the national team faced the Nordic side at Parken, the Napoli forward had already celebrated in the same way, after scoring the goal that secured the Danes’ win (1-0).

"I remember him scoring a free-kick when I was there watching the game, and ever since then I’ve been a huge fan of Cristiano," the striker said back in March 2025 to the same outlet.

Beyond the Ronaldo-style celebration, Hojlund was also involved at the end of the match, after pushing Jorge Jesus when he went over to shake his hand.

Like Ronaldo, Rasmus Hojlund also played for Manchester United – joining the club the season after the Portuguese forward departed the club for a second time.