World Cup
VIDEO: Ronaldo applauds Alex Iwobi as Super Eagles star reaches 100 caps
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi received a memorable tribute on Wednesday night as Cristiano Ronaldo and the entire Portugal squad applauded him for reaching the milestone of 100 appearances for Nigeria.
The special moment took place before the international friendly between Portugal and Nigeria at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria, where Iwobi was honoured for becoming only the fourth player in Super Eagles history to earn 100 caps.
Alex Iwobi joins the CENTURION Club 💯 pic.twitter.com/1fWZlMMJrE
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) June 10, 2026
Ahead of kick-off, the Fulham midfielder was presented with a commemorative plaque to mark the achievement. As he stepped forward to receive the award, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates joined Nigerian players, officials, and supporters in applauding the milestone.
🇵🇹 Ronaldo clapping for Alex Iwobi 🇳🇬pic.twitter.com/pCfJm1N1Gs
— fan 🇵🇹 (@NoodleHairCR7) June 10, 2026
Iwobi’s milestone journey
Iwobi's century of appearances is the reward for more than a decade of service to the Super Eagles. The midfielder made his senior debut for Nigeria in October 2015 and has since become one of the team's most reliable performers.
The former Arsenal star joins an exclusive group of Nigerian football legends to have reached the landmark.
The occasion was made even more special as it came in a high-profile friendly against a Portugal side preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
On the pitch, both teams delivered an entertaining contest as Portugal beat Nigeria 2-1.
Chelsea winger Pedro Neto opened the scoring for the hosts before the Super Eagles responded through Akor Adams, Francisco Conceição doubled the lead for Portugal to as Nigeria suffered first defeat in 12 games.