Portuguese national team star and Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo gave his jersey to a teenage fan who entered the field after Portugal's goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday. After the final whistle of the match held at the Aviva Stadium, a teenage fan made her way onto the pitch and approached the Manchester United striker. While it seemed that security personnel were ready to escort her away, Ronaldo intervened and hugged the young fan before giving her his jersey amidst cheers around the Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital.
Earlier in the same match, the 36-year-old Portuguese star had to dodge another invader who managed to escape the eyes of security and reach the pitch, getting close to the experienced striker. However, the stadium staff eventually managed to pull him off the field. Ronaldo had a quiet evening in Thursday's World Cup qualifying match in the Irish capital, where goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu denied his late attempt at securing a victory in stoppage time. Veteran defender Pepe also received a red card late in the game.
Portugal shares the top spot in their qualifying group and will qualify for the 2022 World Cup if they avoid defeat against Serbia in Lisbon on Sunday. Ireland, which had a disappointing start to their qualifiers, needs to win away against Luxembourg on the same day to secure third place.
