Prince Vincent of Denmark attended the match against Portugal hoping to see Cristiano Ronaldo, but ended up publicly expressing his disappointment.
The unexpected departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from the Portugal camp continues to spark reactions, with one of the most surprising coming from the Danish Royal Family. Prince Vincent of Denmark, 15, attended Thursday’s match between Denmark and Portugal at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium and made no attempt to hide his disappointment at missing the chance to see one of his biggest idols.
The son of King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark spoke to several media outlets before the match and admitted that he had been looking forward to seeing the Portuguese forward on the pitch.
“I was really looking forward to Ronaldo coming to Parken and seeing him, but then he made that move,” Vincent said of the footballer’s decision to leave the national team camp.
The young royal was even more direct when asked what he thought about what had happened. “I’d say it’s fair that he doesn’t play, but it’s a bit selfish of him. What about all his fans who have come to watch him play?” he replied, adding a spontaneous “come on”.
Prince Vincent of Denmark reveals his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo
The prince’s disappointment has a simple explanation: Cristiano Ronaldo is one of his favourite footballers. Vincent also admitted to being a fan of Kylian Mbappé, although he placed the Portuguese star above everyone else.
Ronaldo had left the Portugal camp just one day before the match following the latest decisions by manager Jorge Jesus regarding his role in the team. The forward did not play a single minute against Norway, and it later emerged that he would not start against Denmark either.
Cristiano himself confirmed his departure in a statement on social media after holding a conversation with Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, although he stopped short of fully explaining his reasons. The player promised to reveal “the truth” about what happened when he feels the time is right.
His absence, however, did not prevent Portugal from securing an emphatic 4-2 victory over Denmark.
Vincent watched the match from the stands without his parents, who were in Australia after travelling there to attend the private funeral of John Donaldson, Queen Mary’s father. His older brother, Prince Christian, meanwhile remained in Denmark, serving as regent.
Although the result did not go Denmark’s way, Vincent ended up providing one of the most talked-about moments away from the pitch. His reaction made it clear that, even within a Royal Family, the disappointment of a fan when their idol fails to appear can be exactly the same as that of any other supporter.
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