C. Ronaldo Gives His Shirt, Hug to Young Fan After Portugal-Ireland Match

Cristiano Ronaldo may have failed to power Portugal to a victory over the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup qualifying clash on Thursday night, but it was a gesture towards a young Irish fan that won him immense praise from around the world.

While Portugal drew 0-0 with Ireland, much to the frustration of Ronaldo, it wasn’t just the opposition defenders who were trying to get close to him. Several of his admirers also made a beeline for the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward.

However, it was a bespectacled young girl who succeeded in breaking the security ring before arriving on the pitch to meet and greet Ronaldo. She was nearly in tears as she reached closer to him.

Her tears quickly turned into a broad smile as Ronaldo delighted her by gifting his shirt. The Portuguese maestro subsequently left for the dressing room but not before giving the young fan a hug, which she will perhaps remember for her whole life.

Some of Ronaldo’s admirers questioned the wisdom of some football lovers who call him “arrogant”, considering the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has always appreciated, interacted, and even helped fans in the past, others labelled him the “greatest of all time”.

On the other hand, a few praised his behaviour and attitude before declaring him a “class act” who “should always be loved”.

Though Ronaldo’s gesture hogged all the headlines, his performance in Dublin wasn’t impressive as Portugal somehow managed to cling on to a draw, eventually allowing them to secure a point against Ireland.

Despite their failure to beat the home team, the draw kept Portugal on top of Group A with 17 points. While second-placed Serbia are snapping at their heels, Ronaldo and his men will have the opportunity to cement their position in the next few days as they host them in Lisbon on Sunday.