In the 86th minute, Cancelo scored, bringing the score to 3-2 for Portugal against Hungary in the second round of Group F of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Celebrating in front of the Puskas Arena crowd, Cancelo cupped his hands to his ears, seemingly shushing the stands. Immediately, several objects were thrown towards the Portuguese players.

Ronaldo pulled Cancelo away from the corner, then raised his hand towards the stands in apology. He repeated the gesture several times while ushering his teammates back to their own half to allow the match to continue. Cancelo repeated the gesture, prompting the 40-year-old captain to apologize again. The Hungarian fans then seemed to calm down.

Over 61,000 spectators attended the match, which ended in a 3-2 defeat for Hungary. The result kept Portugal at the top of the group and closer to a place in the 2026 World Cup. Ronaldo also scored a penalty in the match, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Following Cancelo's goal, coach Robert Martinez substituted Ronaldo. As he left the field, he reached out and high-fived the Hungarian captain, Dominik Szoboszlai. The 40-year-old forward is often in good spirits when he has scored and his team is ahead, and this occasion was no exception.

On social media, many admired Ronaldo's leadership. "Ronaldo showed true leadership by taking the time to apologize to the Hungarian fans during Portugal's celebrations," user @TheNassrZone posted on X. "Respect to both that moment and the Hungarian fans."

"What are you looking at, fool? Those were the words of the humble dwarf," user @oviomeze replied, referring to Lionel Messi.

This user was referencing Messi's controversial celebration in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands. After scoring, he ran towards the opposing team's bench and cupped his hands to his ears, similar to Cancelo's gesture. After the match, Messi also said to forward Wout Weghorst: "What are you looking at, fool?"

Compiled by Hoang An