Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes (31, Manchester United) has become a topic of discussion after raising both hands before Cristiano Ronaldo's (40, Al Nassr) missed penalty kick.

Fernandes, on the 24th (Korean time) at the Estádio taxes Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal, showed a rather absurd expression just 6 minutes into the first half of the UEFA Nations League (UNL) quarterfinal second leg against Denmark at the moment Ronaldo took his penalty kick.

Before Ronaldo took the penalty kick, Fernandes was already captured raising both hands, seemingly not thinking at all that Ronaldo's penalty kick would fail.

However, Ronaldo's penalty kick was a failure. Ronaldo's low shot to the right sailed weakly and was caught by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. This was a moment when the opportunity for a first goal slipped away after losing 0-1 in the first leg.

Fernandes, who believed that Ronaldo's penalty kick would undoubtedly succeed, immediately reacted. He turned away from the goal, wrapping his head with both hands in a distressed manner.

Fortunately, despite Ronaldo's missed kick, Portugal won 3-2 in the 90-minute game, making the aggregate score 3-3. The dramatic goal from Trincão in the 41st minute of the second half saved Portugal.

Portugal, having come back from the brink and entering extra time, secured victory with consecutive goals from Trincão and Gonçalo Ramos. Fernandes' actions could have drawn even greater mockery from fans.

British media 'Planet Football' questioned, "Why did Fernandes prepare a celebration in advance before Ronaldo took the kick?" and noted, "Perhaps Ronaldo wanted to show support to a struggling teammate, as he would analyze videos until dawn after the match."

This media emphasized, "Questions regarding Ronaldo's position within the Portugal national team have intensified following this miss," stating, "Ronaldo is the greatest player in Portugal's history. Up until this match, he had scored 135 goals in 218 international matches."

However, it pointed out that "now at 40 years old, Ronaldo has noticeably slowed down like an asthmatic ant carrying a heavy burden over the past few years," adding, "While he still scores heavily in the Saudi league, he has been silent for five matches in Euro 2024, and his performance is increasingly stagnating."

[OSEN]