Following Portugal's 3-2 victory over Hungary at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on 9/9, Hungary's captain, Szoboszlai, visited the Portuguese locker room to request a jersey swap with Ronaldo. The request was unsuccessful as Ronaldo had already promised his jersey to someone else. However, the Portuguese captain assured Szoboszlai that he would exchange jerseys when the two teams meet again in Portugal on 14/10.

Ronaldo (left) and Szoboszlai during Portugal's World Cup 2026 qualifying win over Hungary at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary on 9/9/2025. _Photo: Imago_

Szoboszlai has been a fan of Ronaldo since childhood. In 2009, the two met for the first time when Szoboszlai served as a mascot during a World Cup 2010 qualifier between Hungary and Portugal. Ronaldo started in that match, contributing to his team's 3-0 win.

Before yesterday's match, Szoboszlai expressed his excitement, stating that while he had faced many renowned players, he had never played against his "idol," Ronaldo.

Szoboszlai is on his way to becoming one of Europe's top football stars. He has won seven titles with Salzburg, two with Leipzig, the 2023-2024 League Cup, and the 2024-2025 Premier League with Liverpool. On 31/8, the 24-year-old midfielder scored a stunning free-kick to help Liverpool defeat Arsenal 1-0 in the third round of the Premier League.

In addition to his growing prominence at the club level, Szoboszlai also captains the Hungarian national team. He has scored 16 goals in 57 appearances for his country and secured a spot in Euro 2024.

Szoboszlai (above, in red) and Ronaldo during their first meeting in 2009.

In the match on 9/9, Bernardo Silva and Ronaldo gave Portugal the lead, but Barnabas Varga equalized for Hungary both times. Portugal finally secured the three points with Joao Cancelo's decisive goal in the 86th minute.

Portugal currently leads Group F in the European World Cup qualifiers with six points after two matches. Armenia is second with three points, while Hungary and the Republic of Ireland each have one point.

The group winner after six matches will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed team will participate in the play-offs.

Thanh Quy (according to A Bola)