Armenia defender reveals his feelings after some fans decided to applaud Cristiano Ronaldo during 5-0 loss to Portugal

Armenia defender Nair Tiknizyan has opened up about their fans applauding Cristiano Ronaldo during their match on Saturday, September 6. He also said that his side were too respectful towards their opponents, which led to a 5-0 defeat.

Armenia hosted Portugal at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Joao Felix opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Cristiano Ronaldo added another in the 21st minute. Joao Cancelo made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute before Ronaldo (46') and Felix (61') completed their braces.

Ronaldo was subbed off in the 58th minute and was met with great applause from the home supporters. In a press conference on Monday, Armenia defender Nair Tiknizyan shared his thoughts on it and said (h/t Irish Independent):

“We were too respectful towards our rival in our last game and that’s why we lost, we cannot do that again. I am grateful to our fans for supporting us, there is nothing that surprises me with the behaviour of supporters, they respect great players so it’s normal. Ronaldo is a legend of world football, an idol, and if some fans decided to applaud him, I don’t think it’s so bad."

Armenia will next face Ireland at home on Tuesday, while Portugal will face Hungary away later in the day.

Cristiano Ronaldo shares post about Armenian mascot after World Cup qualifying clash

A heartwarming moment from the game between Armenia and Portugal has been going viral on social media. Cristiano Ronaldo walked out with a mascot, who has garnered attention.

The mascot was first seen singing the Armenian national anthem at the top of his voice, which appeared to amuse Ronaldo. He gave the boy a thumbs-up during the anthem and urged him to keep going. Earlier, the mascot was also seen in tears as he was overwhelmed at seeing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

After the game, the Al-Nassr star posted a reel of his interaction with the mascot on his Instagram account. He wrote in the caption:

"I made a new friend yesterday 😁 Grateful for the love and support every single day and I hope everyone gets to follow their dreams!"

Meanwhile, with the brace against Armenia, Cristiano Ronaldo has now reached 942 goals for club and country. He is now also just one goal behind Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz in the list of most goals in the World Cup Qualifiers in the world. Ruiz scored 39 goals in the tournament, while Ronaldo is now on 38.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Aditya Singh