Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo finally made good on a promise in the wake of his team's 2-2 draw with Hungary in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night. The Al-Nassr forward had long promised to swap his shirt with Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai, and the midfielder confirmed after the match that he had finally got his hands on the Portugal icon's jersey.
Szoboszlai denies Ronaldo and Portugal with late goal
Ronaldo and Portugal looked set to book their spot at World Cup 2026 on Tuesday night as they led Hungary 2-1 until the dying moments of the game. Szoboszlai then popped up with a 91st minute equaliser to deny Portugal and ensure Robert Martinez's men must wait to confirm their place in next summer's tournament. Although there was disappointment for Ronaldo, it was still a memorable night for the Portuguese superstar as he scored twice to become the player with the most goals in World Cup qualifying. Ronaldo spoke of his pride after the game but also sounded out a strong message to his team as he urged Portugal to "seal qualification for the World Cup" in their next fixture in November.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRonaldo finally hands over his shirt
Szoboszlai has made no secret of his admiration for Ronaldo and first met the Portugal legend back in 2009 when he was a mascot. When Hungary took on Portugal earlier in the campaign, Szoboszlai was spotted asking for Ronaldo's shirt after the game but was left disappointed as the skipper had already given it away. Ronaldo did promise the Liverpool star he could have his jersey the next time they met and was true to his word on Tuesday night. Szoboszlai was asked by reporters after the game if he had managed to grab Ronaldo's shirt and said with a smile: "Yes, I received it."
Szoboszlai lifts lid on late equaliser
Szoboszlal enjoyed a memorable night in Lisbon. Not only did he take home Ronaldo's shirt, he also grabbed a goal and an assist in an influential performance. The Liverpool star spoke about the match afterwards, telling reporters: "We started well, we fought, we tried hard, we had a bit of a slump, but we managed to overcome it. The players who came on contributed a lot, so I'm proud of everyone. I'm proud of the whole team. I couldn't get to the near post anymore, so I went to the far post. I don't know how many legs the ball passed through, but it worked. After a start like that, it couldn't have ended any other way. Now we can prepare for the November games."
Portugal frustrated after letting slip win
Meanwhile, Portugal star Bruno Fernandes admitted that he and his team-mate were frustrated after letting slip a victory in stoppage time. He told reporters after the match: "It's frustrating that we didn't get the win, but we're focused on what we have to do in the next stage, which is to win to qualify. That's our mindset. We got into their game in the final minutes. We opened up the field a lot and I think we were controlling the game well, creating a lot of chances. But suddenly, we wanted to play transitions, and it didn't work out for us.
"Our strength is having the ball and pinning teams back. It's always better to have the ball, pin teams down, and create our chances than to open up the field and end up playing a game of attacking transitions.Every game serves as a learning experience for the next one. We were able to win the game against Ireland, and we have to be able to win again to go to the World Cup. If we qualify for the World Cup, we'll still be favorites. We're favorites, just like the teams that qualify. It doesn't affect our confidence or what we can do as a team.
"They're a very good team with second balls and with space for dangerous players to create danger. We have to give credit to what they did."