Rasmus Højlund celebrates like Cristiano Ronaldo as Denmark hold Portugal to 2-2 draw

Rasmus Højlund celebrated his equaliser against Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo’s trademark “Siiiu” celebration as Denmark fought back to draw 2-2 at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

The Denmark striker ran towards the corner flag after scoring the late goal, leapt into the air and repeated the celebration that has been closely associated with Ronaldo throughout his career.

The gesture came as Portugal played without their historic captain, who had left the national team camp only hours before the Nations League Group Stage match.

It added a striking moment to an already unusual occasion for Portugal, who were visiting Denmark for the third round of the group stage while dealing with the departure of their long-serving star.

The 2-2 result gave Denmark an exciting draw in front of their home supporters, while Højlund’s celebration appeared to carry an additional message because of the circumstances surrounding Ronaldo’s absence.

Ronaldo left Portugal’s camp on Wednesday and returned to Madrid, the Spanish capital, after a serious dispute with manager Jorge Jesus.

The disagreement followed Ronaldo’s failure to appear for even a minute in Portugal’s second-round match against Norway, despite assurances that he would be involved.

The Portuguese forward made the decision to leave several hours after Jesus said he had the first and final say over team selection. The manager also acknowledged that he had failed to keep his promise to Ronaldo about including him for part of the Norway game.

Against that backdrop, Højlund’s use of the “Siiiu” celebration appeared to underline the tension around the Portuguese team and turned Parken Stadium into the setting for a performance traditionally associated with the absent captain.

The incident prompted questions over whether the Denmark striker intended the gesture as an insult, although the celebration itself was the clearest visual feature of the match.

beIN SPORTS shared footage of Højlund’s finish on 1 October 2026, captioning it: “All level at Parken Stadium! Rasmus Højlund with a superb finish to bring Denmark level!”

The draw came in a match dominated by the unusual circumstances surrounding Portugal, who were forced to face Denmark without the player whose celebration Højlund chose to reproduce after scoring.