Cristiano Ronaldo expects to be booed against Ireland but hopes the attention may ease the pressure on his Portugal teammates during Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Dublin.

The 40-year-old cheekily celebrated Ruben Neves' 91st minute header in front of Irish defender Jake O'Brien's face last month during their 1-0 win in the reverse fixture, but he promised to be a "good boy" at the Aviva Stadium.

Unbeaten Portugal lead Group F with three wins in four games, and a win will seal their direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup, with Ronaldo aiming to feature in his sixth edition of the tournament.

"The stadium will boo me, but I am used to it. I certainly hope they do. Maybe it will take the pressure off other players," Ronaldo told reporters on Wednesday.

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