GiveMeSport
·17 June 2023
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·17 June 2023
Footage of a pitch invader picking up Cristiano Ronaldo during Portugal's game against Bosnia and Herzegovina has gone viral.
Ronaldo, who was making his 199th appearance for the national team, played the full 90 minutes and was unlucky not to score.
As ever, there were plenty of adoring Ronaldo fans at the Luz Stadium and one of them managed to make their way onto the pitch to meet the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 06: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts to coming onto the pitch during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Switzerland at Lusail Stadium on December 06, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
After evading security, the pitch invader headed straight over to the Al-Nassr star and bowed down at his feet.
The person in question then proceeded to pick up Ronaldo, who willingly let the man do so.
It was not over there, though.
The pitch invader then finished by dropping Ronaldo's own iconic 'SIU' celebration in front of him, before quickly running away from security again.
Speaking ahead of the game, Martinez commented on Ronaldo's choice to play in Saudi Arabia.
"We have three ways of analysing a player: individual quality, experience and commitment," he said. "Cristiano's commitment is complete. He is an example for the locker room, an example for Portuguese and world football. He has played 198 matches for the national team.
"Cristiano and Pepe are examples of Portuguese football, and we need them to pass all the experience and wisdom to the youngest players," Martinez said. "Like any other player, he [Ronaldo] needs to train well in order to play. We need a high-performance environment with competition for our players."
In the end, it was a routine win for Portugal as two goals from Bruno Fernandes and one from Bernardo Silva gave them a 3-0 win.
Ronaldo had found the back of the net with a header in the first half but saw his finish disallowed for offside.
The win means Portugal are now top of their Euro 2024 qualifying group with three wins from three matches.
Slovakia are second with seven points, while Luxembourg are third on four points.
Therefore, Roberto Martinez's side look well set to secure a spot at next year's Euros in Germany.
Whether or not Ronaldo will be there, however, remains to be seen.