"I'll let it go" - Iceland captain makes hilarious claim when asked about swapping shirts with Cristiano Ronaldo after 200th Portugal cap

Iceland captain Aron Einar Gunnarsson made a hilarious claim about swapping shirts with Cristiano Ronaldo prior to their 1-0 loss against Portugal in the UEFA European Qualifiers on Tuesday (June 20).

Ronaldo made his 200th international appearance last night, becoming the first men's footballer to reach that milestone. The Al-Nassr forward scored the winner in the 89th minute to secure all three points for Portugal. He now has 123 goals for his country, which makes him the all-time leading goal scorer in international football.

The last time Portugal played Iceland was during Euro 2016, when the two sides played out a 1-1 draw. After the game, Iceland skipper Aron Einar Gunnarsson had approached Ronaldo to swap shirts but was rejected.

During a pre-match press conference ahead of yesterday's game, Gunnarsson was asked if he planned on trying again. He replied (via FirstSportz):

“I think I’ll let it go. It’ll be his 200th international appearance so he’ll probably want to keep his jersey. So I think I’ll let it be this time."

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Cristiano Ronaldo thanks Iceland after scoring winner in narrow 1-0 win

Cristiano Ronaldo thanked the Iceland fans at the Laugardalsvollur stadium in Reykjavik for the reception they gave him during Portugal's Euro 2024 qualifier against Iceland.

The home side proved tough to break down for much of the game. They only had 28% possession and only had one shot on target compared to Portugal's three.

The game looked set to end goalless until Willum Bor Willumsson was sent off in the 80th minute. Iceland looked more vulnerable after that and Cristiano Ronaldo was able to inflict the damage.

The Portugal superstar scored from close range in the 89th minute and his goal was given following a lengthy VAR check. When asked by UEFA after the game how it felt to score the winner on his 200th international appearance, he said (via GiveMeSport):

“So happy. It’s the kind of moment that you never expect, to reach 200 caps. For me it’s an unbelievable achievement.”

He added:

“To be in the Gunners World Records is amazing. Of course, scoring the winning goal makes it even more special, so I have to say thank you to the stadium, to Iceland, the people, the fans, the stadium for having this kind of party for me. Also to the Portugal national team, the federation. I’m so happy. It’s a special day. I have to say thank you to all of them. They made my day. They made my night, let’s say it that way."

Portugal's win ensured they remain top of the Group J standings with 12 points from four games. Iceland fell to fifth with just three points so far.