Portugal was unexpectedly defeated by Georgia in the Euro 2024 on Thursday (IST), with Cristiano Ronaldo unable to score again. Georgia, participating in their first European Championship, needed a victory to advance to the last 16 when they faced Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.
Security with a last moment lunge to stop a fan getting to Cristiano Ronaldo! 😳 pic.twitter.com/hCDy0jeGRe
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 27, 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo And Portugal To Face Slovenia In Round Of 16
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal had already secured their place in the last 16 as the winners of Group F, prompting their coach Roberto Martinez to make eight changes to the lineup. Georgia took the lead within the first two minutes, courtesy of a superb finish from their standout player, Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Cristiano Ronaldo, at 39, who holds the Euros record with 14 goals, is still waiting for his first goal in this year’s tournament.
Ranked 74th in the world, Georgia will face the highly-favored Spain in the next round on Sunday in Cologne, having advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams.
The match also included a frightening moment when a fan nearly kicked Ronaldo after jumping out of the stands as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was heading down the tunnel. The fan was inches away from Ronaldo, but stewards managed to intervene just in time.
