Cristiano Ronaldo comforts crying mascot, scores twice as Portugal rout Armenia 5-0
Portugal captain shared a video of the moment and posted a message after a 5-0 World Cup qualifying win in which he netted his 140th international goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo sent a message to a young mascot after the child was moved to tears while walking onto the pitch with the Portugal captain, as Portugal opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 5-0 victory over Armenia on Saturday night.
The 40-year-old scored twice in the Group F match, opening his account with a close-range tap-in before converting a superb 25-yard strike for his 140th international goal. Ronaldo has now scored in each of the 23 seasons he has played for the national side and netted his 10th goal in his last 10 competitive outings for Portugal.
Video shared by Ronaldo on social media showed the young mascot visibly emotional as he walked alongside the captain. Ronaldo comforted the child, exchanged a joke and embraced him before the match. Accompanying the clip, Ronaldo wrote: "I made a new friend yesterday. Grateful for the love and support every single day and I hope everyone gets to follow their dreams."
João Félix scored twice and João Cancelo added the other goal as Portugal, the reigning Nations League champions, produced a dominant display to start their qualifying campaign. The victory moved Portugal forward in Group F where Hungary, after conceding an added-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw with the Republic of Ireland, sit two points behind the early pace.
Elsewhere in European qualifying, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović scored the only goal as Serbia beat Latvia 1-0 in Riga to move into second place in Group K, five points behind England, who beat Andorra 2-0 having played one more match. In Group H, Bosnia and Herzegovina maintained their position at the top after a 6-0 win over San Marino, with Austria a point behind but holding a game in hand after a 1-0 victory over Cyprus.
Portugal's win continued a run of strong individual and team form as the squad balances international duties with domestic commitments for several key players. Ronaldo's double underlined his enduring scoring record for the national team and highlighted his role as a focal point in Portugal's attack heading into the remainder of the qualifying window.
The Portugal squad and coaching staff did not immediately issue further comment about the mascot incident beyond Ronaldo's post. The team is scheduled to continue its qualifying fixtures later in the international calendar as UEFA group play progresses.