The 22-year-old found the back of the net in the 78th minute, securing a memorable win for the Danish team in their Nations League encounter on Thursday night.
He had previously opened the scoring with a composed finish in United’s 3-0 win against Leicester City on Sunday, breaking an astonishing 21-game goal drought and carrying that momentum into the international break.
Ronaldo, who played the entire 90 minutes of the Nations League quarter-final first leg, was spotted standing with his hands on his hips as Hojlund celebrated in front of the Danish crowd.
However, Hojlund, who has been an avid fan of Ronaldo since he was seven years old, later explained that his celebration was not intended as mockery but as a gesture of admiration and respect for the Portuguese legend.
‘I’ve always dreamed of doing Ronaldo’s cheering scene – especially towards him,’ Hojlund told Tipsbladet.
‘Not that it was meant to be arrogant. On the contrary, it was meant as respect. I’m a bit of a fanboy, says Rasmus Højlund and continues:
‘He has meant everything to my career. I became a Manchester United fan because of him, I started watching Real Madrid and Juventus because of him.
‘I also remember seeing a picture of him in his underwear, and then I thought, “Okay, I want to look like that too.”
‘So I started doing push-ups and sit-ups every day before I went to bed.
‘My best friend was also at the stadium today, and we’ve always been fans of his. So scoring and doing his celebration scene was a little ambivalent, but also kind of cool.’
United will be counting on Hojlund to continue his upward trajectory after the international break, with the striker having managed just three goals in the Premier League this season.
The Europa League, however, has been a more fruitful platform for him, where he has found the net five times in 10 appearances.
This competition represents United’s sole opportunity to claim silverware this season, as well as their only route to Champions League qualification.
They are set to face Lyon in the quarter-finals next month, and a victory against the French side would see them take on either Rangers or Athletic Club in the semi-finals.
