Cristiano Ronaldo has promised Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai his jersey when Portugal face Hungary in Lisbon next month. The two captains met recently in Budapest during World Cup qualifying.
After Portugal’s 3-2 win, Szoboszlai gave his shirt to Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward had already exchanged his own with another player, but told Szoboszlai he would keep a jersey for him in their next meeting in October.
Portugal won the game with a late strike from Joao Cancelo. Hungary had equalised through Barnabas Varga only minutes earlier. Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva were also among the scorers.
Before the match, a photo of an eight-year-old Szoboszlai as a Hungary mascot in 2009 went viral online. In that image, he stood alongside Ronaldo, who was then the same age Szoboszlai is now at 24.
Sixteen years later, the two led their nations as captains at the Puskas Arena. Szoboszlai, who has often called Ronaldo his idol, spoke before the game about the special moment. “I’ve played against great players but never him. From my childhood, he’s been my idol. Finally, the time has come,” he said.
