Cristiano Ronaldo training ground joke that had Portugal team-mates laughing

29.03.2022 - 22:09 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo was in a jovial mood ahead of Portugal's 2022 World Cup qualifier fixture against North Macedonia on Tuesday night.

Ronaldo and his international teammates face last week's conquerors of Italy knowing if they lose, they will miss out on reaching the World Cup finals in December later this year. With such a mammoth task ahead, Ronaldo was pictured laughing and joking after Arsenal's Cedric attempted to head a ball during a training drill.

While a number of players were taking part in the rondo, a drill which requires teammates to rotate and keep the ball while a 'defender' is in the middle trying to win it back, the United striker headed the ball to Cedric. And in response, the Gunners defender leapt into the air to head the ball back.

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The manner in which Cedric headed the ball led to Ronaldo laughing and mimicking the action. Jumping up, Ronaldo was seen with his arms out wide and his legs tucked in, almost like the former Real Madrid and Juventus star was trying to fly like a bird. Other teammates joined in on the laughter as the team continued their preparation for the match.

Speaking prior to the game, Ronaldo called on Portugal fans to get behind the team and believed that with the crowd behind them, they could qualify for the World Cup at the end of the year.

"I urge the fans. I want hell breaking loose at Dragao,' Ronaldo said on Monday. "I went to bed last night thinking that I want the stadium to shut down the music for our national anthem. "Let the fans sing it a cappella to show our passion, our strength and union around the objective of reaching the World Cup. If our fans show up the way they can,