Before embarking on a mission to bounce back, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has openly criticized his own and the team’s performance in Denmark.
The journey to the UEFA Nations League semi-final didn’t start well for Portugal. Ronaldo was far from impressed with the team’s performance — or his own — in the first leg against Denmark. However, the Portuguese icon remains confident about turning things around on home soil.
In last Thursday’s quarter-final first leg in Copenhagen, Ronaldo was a shadow of his usual self. His teammates also struggled to deliver, resulting in a 1-0 loss for Portugal.
The second leg is set for Sunday in Lisbon, where Portugal has no choice but to win to progress to the next round. As the inaugural champions of the competition, the pressure is mounting — something Ronaldo openly acknowledged.
“We’re not in a life-or-death situation, but there’s definitely some anxiety because we know we must win tomorrow (Sunday). I won’t hide how I really feel. But that’s the beauty of football — taking on challenges. I know we’ll give our best on the field to try and win.”
As one of football’s greatest, Ronaldo is calling on the fans for support ahead of this crucial clash. He remains hopeful for a memorable day.
“We need the fans by our side. We want them to show us their strength because we’ll be giving our best too. I hope tomorrow will be a beautiful day for all of us. There’s no other way. Everyone who takes pride in representing this jersey must have this ambition. I’ve lost matches in 90 minutes, but I’ve never lost a first leg in a knockout round. Tomorrow (Sunday) is the second leg.”
Despite dominating possession in the first leg, Portugal was toothless in attack — something Ronaldo didn’t shy away from admitting.
“We’ve had days like this before — bad days. I didn’t play well in the first leg, neither did the team. But that’s part of life. Tomorrow, I want to leave Alvalade Stadium with my head held high. If I score, I’ll be happy. If I don’t, I hope someone else does. All I want is a Portugal win.”
In the first leg, Denmark’s Rasmus Højlund celebrated his goal with Ronaldo’s iconic “Siuuu” celebration. However, the all-time leading international goal scorer wasn’t bothered — in fact, he found it flattering.
“I know he didn’t do it to disrespect me. I’m smart enough to understand that. Seeing him and other athletes around the world celebrate like me is an honor. I hope I get to celebrate myself tomorrow.”
