Rasmus Hojlund copied Cristiano Ronaldo‘s famous “Siu” celebration right in front of his lifelong idol. It happened in Copenhagen on a cool Thursday night. Denmark had already missed a penalty in the first half, with Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa denying Christian Eriksen. But Hojlund’s 78th-minute strike changed everything.
The Manchester United forward, recently emerging from a difficult goal drought at club level, looked liberated as he sprinted toward the crowd. Meanwhile, Ronaldo stood there, hands over his hips.
A celebration born out of admiration
After the match, questions surfaced about whether Hojlund was taunting the Portugal legend. He dismissed that notion. “It’s for my idol,” Hojlund said. “It wasn’t to mock him or anything. He’s had such a huge impact on me and my football career.” He explained that he grew up idolizing Ronaldo, watching him at Real Madrid and Juventus before following him to Manchester United. “He has meant everything to my career. I became a Manchester United fan because of him.”
Even so, the image of Hojlund unleashing the “Siu” in Ronaldo’s presence turned heads. Ronaldo, now 218 caps into his storied Portugal career, didn’t comment on the celebration specifically. Instead, he addressed the defeat. “We have 90 minutes to turn around,” he wrote on social media. “Roll on Portugal!” That second leg, set for Lisbon, will give Ronaldo and his teammates a chance to come back from the 1-0 deficit.
Hojlund, at 22, carried much of the spotlight into the international break after ending his own lengthy stretch without scoring for United. He said the celebration was a heartfelt tribute to the man who shaped his outlook on the game. “I remember seeing a picture of him back when I was younger,” Hojlund recalled, “and thinking I wanted to look like that too. I started doing push-ups and sit-ups each night because of Cristiano.”
On the field, Denmark’s discipline and well-timed defensive interventions made life difficult for Portugal. Eriksen’s missed penalty might have weighed heavily on the hosts, but Hojlund’s late goal provided a storybook conclusion. Standing on the same pitch as Ronaldo, his childhood hero, and then finding the net felt surreal to him. “Maybe it’s a bit ambivalent, but to score against him and Portugal, it’s huge,” he added.
As for Ronaldo, the record holder with 135 international goals, the sight of a young forward performing his trademark celebration might have stung. But if anything, it’s a reminder that even the greatest players inspire emulation on the rise. For Denmark, a carefully crafted 1-0 advantage is just the first step. They know a tough test awaits in Lisbon, where Ronaldo’s thirst for goals will be at its peak. Yet for Hojlund, that moment of joy in Copenhagen, set to the echo of “Siu,” will remain special no matter how the second leg unfolds.
