- Cristiano Ronaldo mocked his rival after Portugal’s goal in the 92nd minute
- Fans have called him “classless” and “the worst athlete” for his behavior.
- Listen to It’s all starting! When will Cristiano Ronaldo decide to call it a day and retire?
Cristiano Ronaldo taunted the Czech Republic goalkeeper and a midfielder as Portugal completed a 2-1 comeback in their first match of Euro 2024.
The 39-year-old hit goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek, who was dejected on the grass, with his fist and shouted something in the ear of midfielder Petr Sevcik.
Their boastful celebration came after Francisco Conceicao scored the winning goal from close range in the 92nd minute.
The added-time winner made up for a poor performance as Portugal needed an own goal after a sumptuous strike from Lukas Provod.
Ronaldo clearly enjoyed substitute Conceicao’s highlight reel, giving him a big hug at the end of the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated in front of the Czech goalkeeper after his team’s late goal.
He also shouted something in midfielder Petr Sevcik’s ear as he ran alongside him.
However, many viewers were not impressed with his antics.
‘No classes’, summed up one in X.
‘You don’t need to do that. “Not the best look,” wrote another.
“Something you wouldn’t see Messi do against his opposition. That’s why Messi is the (GOAT emoji),” said one, indicating that Lionel Messi is ‘the greatest of all time.’
Another said: ‘And this video proves one of the reasons why I can’t sympathize with him! What was the reason for that celebration against his opponents?
“He’s the worst athlete,” one commented.
Other spectators were more sympathetic to Ronaldo’s burst of euphoria and attitude.
“I was probably falling behind during the game,” one thought.
Ronaldo hugged Francisco Conceicao after the match following his 92nd minute winning goal.
‘The player celebrates the winning goal. Shocking,” said another.
It was a frustrating night for Portugal, who struggled to synthesize their extraordinary offensive talent.
While they had 74 percent possession and 19 shots, there were long stretches where they failed to create clear-cut opportunities.
The winning start sets them up nicely for matches against Turkey and Georgia, who will also likely look to hinder them with determined defending.
Even if they worked to get three points, it is better than how they started their triumphant 2016 campaign, when they drew 1-1 with Iceland.
In fact, they stagnated in all three group stage matches, finishing third behind Hungary and Iceland.
The 2024 edition marks Ronaldo’s sixth European Championship, having debuted in the tournament in 2004.
