“I admire everything about him” – Fans in awe of Cristiano Ronaldo’s gesture towards ballboy as footage from stadium during Portugal’s 2-0 win over Czech Republic goes viral
Fans have praised Cristiano Ronaldo for his reaction towards a ballboy during Portugal's recent 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the Nations League on Friday.
Goals from Joao Cancelo and Goncalo Guedes gave Fernando Santos' side a comfortable victory in Lisbon, with Ronaldo playing the full 90 minutes; although he did not offer much during the clash.
The Euro 2016 winners have made an excellent start to their Nations League campaign, having claimed seven points from their opening three games against Spain, Switzerland and the Czechs.
Footage has emerged of Cristiano Ronaldo from the game that has earned him heaps of praise online. The legendary forward initially looked extremely fustrated after one of his crosses was cleared away for a corner.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was then handed a new ball by a ballboy, which earned the young man a high-five from the 37-year-old.
The reaction of the kid after Cristiano Ronaldo shakes his hand… priceless. https://t.co/2t9qgrKpln
The boy, seemingly, could not believe his luck at the acknowledgement he received from the football icon and he could not hide his delight at the moment.
Supporters have praised Cristiano Ronaldo's simple gesture, which clearly meant so much to the youngster.
@totalcristiano This has made me realise that Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest of all time
@totalcristiano That’d be my reaction too if it was me
@totalcristiano @Iam_Mr_YANG Still shook the boy's hand even in the middle of his visible frustration.
I just love CR7....I admire everything about him!!
@totalcristiano Ronaldo will forget about that 20 mins after, the kid will remember that for the rest of his life, nice touch
@totalcristiano I don't wash my hand anymore😅😅
@totalcristiano Kid was like https://t.co/Xsa0cY33cK
@totalcristiano So envious 🥲
Cristiano Ronaldo responds to being dropped for Portugal vs Spain
Fernando Santos caused shockwaves before his team's first Nations League clash of the summer as he left international football's highest ever goalscorer, Ronaldo, on the bench against Spain.
When asked about his decision, the 67-year-old stated (as per The Mirror):
"They often ask why he is a starter... Because I understood that for this game it was better to use the players I used, it was an option for the beginning of this game, for the way we wanted to play and approach the match, it seemed to us that this was the the best solution.
"It has nothing to do with Cristiano's value, it's not even about that. And it was also always counting that he could enter the second half and solve the game. That was it."
To his credit, Ronaldo took the decision in good grace, saying:
"The League of Nations is a competition that will forever be linked to the National Team, the first to win this trophy. Our start in this edition, with an important draw in Spain, renews our ambition. The same as always, the same that moves us and unites us at all times: winning for Portugal."
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year will almost certainly Ronaldo's last chance to win the big prize. Portugal have been drawn alongside Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea in the group stages.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest athlete of all time. 🐐 https://t.co/yovcogwggW