Cristiano Ronaldo was approached by a pitch invader once more after scoring his record 133rd goal for Portugal in their 3-1 away win over Poland in the Nations League
Cristiano Ronaldo has received praise for delaying security so a fan could take a photo with him after sprinting onto the pitch.
Ronaldo, 39, scored his 133rd international goal on Saturday during Portugal’s hard-fought 3-1 victory against Poland in Warsaw. Manchester City striker Bernardo Silva gave Roberto Martinez’s side the lead on 26 minutes, before Ronaldo scored their second goal of the night after teammate Rafael Leao struck the post.
Poland equalized late in the second half via Piotr Zielinski, before Southampton defender Jan Bendarek scored a contentious own goal in the final minutes to make it 3-1. Ronaldo had been off the field for some time by this moment, as Martinez replaced him in the 63rd minute with Liverpool forward Diogo Jota.
While the game was delayed and Ronaldo sprinted off, a child raced from the stands and approached the five-time Ballon d’Or winner before the chasing security team could. Ronaldo instantly placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, motioning for them to wait.Only after the shot was taken did the former Manchester United and Real Madrid great allow security to haul the child away. “Ronaldo is keeping it classy,” one admirer said on social media. “He’s always thinking of the fans,” another said. “That is legendary!” “Gotta love when players show some love to the fans,” a third said.
Ronaldo’s goal helped Portugal preserve their 100 per cent record in this year’s Nations League, and they appear to be in the knockout stages come March. Poland did, however, get a footing in the game following the 39-year-old’s substitution.
Robert Lewandowski’s header went just wide before Zielinski scored, and the hosts felt they should have had a penalty in the buildup to Bednarek’s own goal. “It’s part of managing players when you have two games in 72 hours,” Martinez said of his decision, as Portugal prepares to face Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday.Diogo Jota came over extremely nicely. Cristiano is perfect. The first half was pretty nice. We dominated the game, generated opportunities, had excellent team synchronization, guarded Poland’s strengths admirably, and scored some outstanding goals. I’m pleased with the new guys, who appear to have multiple international caps.
“Giving up a goal was a difficult time, but it was amazing to witness the response and score another goal. Overall, an excellent performance. The challenge includes two away games. After 72 hours, I’m recuperating well. “The players demonstrated their full commitment during training and work at Football City [in Lisbon].”
