Cristiano Ronaldo promised to be a “good boy” as he prepared to face a wave of boos at the Aviva Stadium.
The Portugal captain will lead his teammates into a World Cup qualifier with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday, a month after celebrating Ruben Neves’ last-gasp goal in the reverse fixture against defender Jake O’Brien.
Ronaldo told the media on Wednesday that he expected to be booed but was focused solely on the task of helping his team reach its final World Cup final.
“I really love the fans here. The support they give to the national team, it’s great. For me, it’s a pleasure to come and play here again,” he said.
“Of course, it’s going to be difficult. I hope they won’t boo me too much tomorrow. I swear I’ll try to be a good boy.”
He added, “But of course I do my job. I try to win the match and try to score to help my team. I’m sure the match will be difficult.”
Ronaldo suffered an evening to forget in the Lisbon match, where he equalized after Caoimhin Kelleher saved a penalty kick awarded by Slovakian referee Ivan Krozliak.
Irish fans accused the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star of unjustifiably influencing the match referee, but Ronaldo was having none of that.
He said: “It’s normal because they know if they lose tomorrow, they’ll be out, so they try to make things around the game, try to do things.
“But we have to be ready for a tough game. I think it will be very similar to the game they played in Lisbon, and they have a chance.
“It’s a good team, so we’re ready. I think Portugal will play well and try to win the game.”
Portugal will secure qualification to the World Cup if they win, while Ireland will have to do a lot to edge out rivals Hungary and Armenia in the race for second place in Group F and a place in the UEFA UEFA qualifiers next March.
Ronaldo said earlier this week that the World Cup would be his last as he contemplated retirement, but the 40-year-old is determined to add to his extensive trophy haul.
However, the man who has scored an astonishing 143 international goals said the endeavor was never about him.
He said: “The national team does not depend on one good player, but it is useful to have good players who can make a difference, especially when it comes to goals.”
“It’s always good to score goals. I want to play in the next World Cup, but we’ll take it step by step.”
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez will be without suspended midfielder Bruno Fernandes and injured defender Nuno Mendes in Dublin, as he expects a difficult evening after the win in Lisbon.
“I think we will see an Irish team full of confidence, playing at home and this is the last camp to try to qualify for the World Cup, so I think it will be a completely different game,” Martinez said.
Information from the Palestinian Authority was used in this story.
