Awkward moment Cristiano Ronaldo tells Liverpool star he can’t have his shirt

Cristiano Ronaldo may have felt slightly guilty after he was forced to snub Dominik Szoboszlai’s request to swap shirts.

The two stars captained their national sides as they met in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night, which saw Portugal clinch a 3-2 victory over Hungary.

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Ronaldo got on the scoresheet with a 58th-minute penalty, in a thrilling match that took a late winner to decide it.

Former Manchester City star Joao Cancelo scored the decider on 86 minutes, just two minutes after Barnabas Varga looked to have rescued a point for Hungary.

Why didn’t Ronaldo swap shirts with Szoboszlai?

Despite the result, Szoboszlai was understandably keen to get his hands on his childhood hero’s shirt after the final whistle.

Prior to the clash, the Liverpool midfielder was asked how much thought he had given to facing the football icon for the first time.

He replied: “A lot. I have played against (great) players but I’ve never played against him.

“From my childhood he has been my idol, so finally the time has come. I hope it will be a positive experience.”

And Szoboszlai made sure to savour his encounter with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

The 24-year-old waited outside of Portugal’s dressing room to give Ronaldo his match shirt in the hope of getting one in return.

But his hopes were quickly spoiled, as the sporting icon informed him that he had already given his jersey away.

Fortunately for Szoboszlai, Ronaldo instantly offered a solution, as he promised him his shirt in next month’s return qualifier.

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Ronaldo told him: “I’ll give you my home [shirt], for sure. In Portugal, okay?”

The clash in Budapest had been a full circle moment for Szoboszlai, having previously been a mascot when Hungary faced Portugal back in 2009.

Before the game, a picture of him went viral, with an eight-year-old Szoboszlai stood just a few feet away from Ronaldo, who was playing in the match.

And with the two stars meeting on the pitch 16 years on, this only underlined the Portugal captain’s remarkable longevity.

Ronaldo’s goal in the contest made it a prolific international break for him, as he netted three goals in two games.

On top of his spot-kick against Hungary, the Al Nassr star struck twice for his country in their 5-0 thrashing of Armenia on September 5.

His recent exploits saw him take his Portugal tally to a staggering 141 goals, extending Ronaldo’s place at the top of the all-time international goalscoring charts.

Meanwhile, his national team now boast a three-point lead at the top of their World Cup qualifying group, with a maximum six points.

With Hungary registering just a point so far, Szoboszlai will be hoping to have a similar influence on his country as Ronaldo has had over the years.

The Reds star recently earned comparisons to his footballing hero, after his stunning free-kick sealed a 1-0 victory over Arsenal.

This prompted high praise from Manchester United legend Gary Neville on Sky Sports at the time.

He said: “He has no right to score that against [David] Raya.

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“Look at that facial expression, he can’t believe it, the Arsenal goalkeeper.

“This is special, it’s got everything. It’s brilliant. World-class. Cristiano Ronaldo-like.”

Szoboszlai will hope to pick up where he left off for Liverpool, as his side return to Premier League action against Burnley on Sunday.