Hojlund shoves Portugal coach Jesus and salutes Ronaldo in Denmark's 4-2 Nations League defeat

Rasmus Hojlund scored for Denmark but could not prevent a 4-2 Nations League defeat to Portugal in Copenhagen, a result overshadowed by the striker’s post-match shove of visiting coach Jorge Jesus and a pointed tribute to the exiled Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hojlund put Denmark 2-0 up and immediately wheeled away to perform Ronaldo’s trademark ‘Siu’ celebration — a gesture the 22-year-old has now directed at Portugal on more than one occasion. Jorge Jesus’s side recovered emphatically, scoring four times to seal the win and leave Denmark with nothing.

At the final whistle, Jesus approached Hojlund and appeared to pat him firmly on the chest. The Napoli striker responded with a shove, creating a brief but striking exchange between the two that quickly drew attention. Neither party was reported to have escalated the incident further.

The celebration carried clear symbolic weight given the turbulent backdrop surrounding Ronaldo’s relationship with Jesus. The 41-year-old departed the Portugal training camp early ahead of these Nations League fixtures following a dispute with the coach, who only took charge in the summer after signing a four-year deal to replace Roberto Martinez. Ronaldo did not start the 2-1 win over Norway and was an unused substitute, prompting him to post a statement on social media announcing his departure from camp.

“After the press conference of the national team and following a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team training camp,” Ronaldo wrote. “In time, I will tell all th—”

Hojlund has previously explained his affection for the Portuguese icon. Speaking after scoring against Portugal earlier in 2025, he said: “It’s for my idol. It wasn’t to mock him or anything. He’s had such a huge impact on me and my football career. Maybe it’s a bit ambivalent but to score against him and Portugal, it’s huge. I remember him scoring from a free-kick in 2011, when I went to watch the match, and, since then, I’ve been a huge Cristiano fan.”

Ronaldo was equally gracious at the time, saying: “For me, it’s not a problem. I know it wasn’t an act of disrespect. I’m smart enough to realise that. Not only him, all over the world, several athletes celebrate me. For me, it’s an honour.”

Whether Hojlund’s latest ‘Siu’ was again a tribute or a more deliberate message to Jesus amid the Ronaldo saga, the gesture added an extra layer of intrigue to an already eventful evening in Copenhagen. Jesus, for his part, had the last laugh on the scoreboard — but the optics of the full-time confrontation will follow him into an already pressurised international window.