Portuguese player Ruben Neves of Al Hilal defended his compatriot and national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr in front of the media after Ronaldo missed a penalty in Portugal’s match against Ireland.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in the 75th minute and was seen after the match greeting and apologizing to the fans in the stands.

Ruben Neves scored the only goal of the match in the first minute of added time, leading Portugal to a valuable victory in the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

After the match, Neves was asked by a journalist about Ronaldo’s apology to the fans after missing the penalty, to which the Portuguese player replied, “Ronaldo doesn’t need to apologize; he played an excellent game.”

Neves also sent a message to the fans, saying, “Everyone knows what will happen in Ronaldo’s next match when he misses a penalty.”

Portugal’s points rose to nine at the halfway point of the qualifiers, five points ahead of second-placed Hungary, which they will host on Tuesday, potentially securing Portugal’s qualification.