Cristiano Ronaldo's classy gesture to pitch invader as security chase goes viral after Portugal goal

Cristiano Ronaldo has been praised for his classy gesture of delaying security to allow a fan to take a selfie with him after invading the pitch.

The former Manchester United star scored his record-breaking 133rd international goal on Saturday during Portugal's challenging 3-1 victory over Poland in Warsaw. Manchester City forward Bernardo Silva gave Roberto Martinez's team the lead at the 26-minute mark before Ronaldo secured their second goal, following Rafael Leao's near miss.

Poland managed to claw one back late in the second half courtesy of Piotr Zielinski, before an unfortunate own goal from Southampton defender Jan Bendarek brought the score to 3-1 in the final moments. By this time, Ronaldo had already been substituted off the pitch in the 63rd minute, replaced by Liverpool striker Diogo Jota.

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As the 39-year-old made his way off the pitch, a young fan dashed from the stands and reached the five-time Ballon d'Or winner before security could intervene.

Ronaldo calmly placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and signalled for security to hold back. Only after the photo was taken did the legendary forward allow security to escort the boy away.

Fans took to social media to praise Ronaldo's actions, with one stating: "Ronaldo is keeping it classy," while another added: "He's always thinking of the fans," A third fan hailed the moment as legendary, saying: "That's legendary! Gotta love when players show some love to the fans."

Ronaldo's strike was crucial in keeping Portugal's flawless record intact in this year's Nations League, setting them on course for the knockout stages come March. After Ronaldo was subbed off, Poland began to find their rhythm, with Robert Lewandowski narrowly missing a header before Zielinski found the back of the net.

The home side also felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty during the lead-up to Bednarek's own goal. "It's part of managing players when you have two games in 72 hours," Martinez said, justifying his decision as Portugal gears up to take on Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday.

"Diogo Jota came on very well. Cristiano is perfect. The first half was very good. We controlled the game, created opportunities, had very good synchronisation as a team, defended Poland's strengths very well and scored great goals. I'm happy with the new players who came in, it seems they have several international caps."

"Conceding a goal was a difficult moment, and it was great to see the reaction and score another goal. Overall, a very good performance. The challenge is two away games. 72 hours, recovering well. The players showed all their commitment during training and work at the Football City [in Lisbon]."

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