- Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in Portugal’s 3-0 win over Ireland
- The Portuguese star almost made it three, but his free kick hit the post
- Listen on It all starts! Why England’s defense could prevent football from coming home
Curious fans claim they have found out what Cristiano Ronaldo said to himself before taking a free-kick against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.
Ronaldo, 39, has scored 130 goals in 207 appearances for Portugal, scoring two in his country’s 3-0 win over Ireland.
After Joao Felix opened the scoring in the match, Ronaldo made it two early in the second half with a stunning left-footed effort, before adding a second shortly afterwards.
Ronaldo almost completed a hat-trick, but he hit the post with a brilliant free-kick from long range.
Had his effort gone in, it would have been the 64th free-kick goal of Ronaldo’s decorated career, with the Portuguese superstar known for his trademark style of taking it.
One fan claims he knows what Cristiano Ronaldo says to himself before free kicks
Ronaldo has become known throughout his career for his unique style of free-kick taking
A fan said they could tell what Ronaldo said before a set piece against the Republic of Ireland
And one eagle-eyed fan claimed he knows how Ronaldo gets into the right zone before taking free-kicks, which have accounted for seven per cent of his 895 career goals.
Taking to X, the fan posted a video of Ronaldo performing on Tuesday, revealing what the attacker had allegedly said.
“Score it, score it, it’s normal to score a goal,” he claimed Ronaldo muttered to himself.
After the win over Ireland, Ronaldo’s full focus now turns to Euro 2024 in what will be his sixth European Championship, with Portugal drawn into a group alongside Turkey, Georgia and the Czech Republic.
In recent days, some have questioned whether Ronaldo should be included in Portugal’s starting XI this summer, with Arsenal legend Paul Merson stating he would bench the five-time Champions League winner for the group stages.
But ahead of their clash against Ireland, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez had insisted the experienced striker remains in his plans.
Al-Nassr star Ronaldo, 39, scored seven percent of his 895 career goals from free kicks
‘Tomorrow we have Ruben [Dias], Pepe and Cristiano. It’s a perfect game to give minutes to the starters, but they will get minutes,” he said during a press conference on Monday.
Ronaldo has also been in good form for his club this season. He scored 44 goals in 45 games in all competitions for Al-Nassr and Martinez stressed that his experience and leadership qualities are essential for this team.
“It is important for us to attack and defend with eleven,” he added. ‘Cristiano has brutal experience. There is no other player with this experience. He is a player who knows very well how to use space in the area and is a special finisher, a special player.
“Cristiano’s focus, reaction to loss and defensive positions were perfect during the games we played, the last eleven games. So for me there are no doubts and no worries.’