WATCH: Tearful Ronaldo stretchered out of Euro 2016 final

Agence France-Presse

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WATCH: Tearful Ronaldo stretchered out of Euro 2016 final
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo cries tears of sorrow after being injured, and later tears of joy after winning the European title

PARIS, France (UPDATED) – Cristiano Ronaldo cried twice in the Euro 2016 final on Sunday, July 10 (Monday Manila time): once when he was stretchered off injured and again when he ran back on in joy after his Portugal teammates claimed a famous win over France.

French star Dimitri Payet floored Ronaldo with a heavy challenge in the eighth minute of the game which Portugal won 1-0. The Portuguese superstar rolled in agony, was led off for treatment and came back.

After hobbling for several minutes, Ronaldo went off again to have his left leg bandaged.

One acceleration showed that he could not go on. Ronaldo sat down in the 24th minute and signalled he could not carry on.

He took off the captain’s armband and, as the tears welled up, was carried off on a stretcher.


The 31-year-old Real Madrid striker played in the Portugal side that lost the 2004 European Championship final 1-0 to Greece. Ronaldo’s emotional teenaged outburst then has remained one of the enduring images of that tournament.

He had said before the Paris final that he wanted to be “crying for joy” this time – he could not have imagined how his prediction would come true.

Payet had won the ball with a heavy challenge and in the follow-through collided with Ronaldo’s left knee. Payet escaped any sanction from referee Mark Clattenburg.

(FULL REPORT: Portugal wins Euro 2016 title as Eder’s extra-time goal downs France)

After departing to warm applause, Ronaldo was replaced by Ricardo Quaresma and disappeared for treatment. With his knee heavily strapped, he emerged again when Clattenburg blew the whistle for 90 minutes to encourage his exhausted teammates during extra-time.

As the clock ticked down, his face was a picture of emotion, pushing a substitute onto the pitch before erupting in joy at the final whistle.

His tightly strapped leg did not stop him limping up the steps at the Stade de France to lift the long-awaited trophy. He was bursting with pride as he showed off the prize.

Ronaldo's tears turned to joy after his country won its first ever European championship. Photo by Georgi Licovski/EPA

Ronaldo finally has a major international tournament to add to his plethora of club and individual prizes and accolades won with Real Madrid and Manchester United – including 3 world player of the year awards.

That put him one up over his eternal Argentine rival, Lionel Messi, who retired from international football after losing the Copa America final last week. Messi has four Ballon d’Ors but no major international title.

Angry mother

After he left the field on a stretcher, Ronaldo’s mother Dolores Aveiro tweeted angrily: “I cannot see my son like that. The game is about kicking a ball, not injuring an opponent.”

Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale, whose Wales side were eliminated by Portugal in the semi-finals, tweeted: “Terrible to see Cris come off like that. Hope it’s nothing too bad.”

“Go Cris!!!” said another Real teammate, Brazilian left-back Marcelo. “Everyone is with you. You are great, you have done everything possible!”

Paris was where Brazilian great Ronaldo was taken sick in mysterious circumstances just before the 1998 World Cup final. He did not play and Brazil lost 3-0 to France.

“What is it about Ronaldos in major finals in Paris. What a shame!” said former England captain Gary Lineker on Twitter.

Ronaldo’s early departure deprived him of the chance to beat Michel Platini’s record of 9 goals in a single Euro tournament. The Portuguese equaled the record in his side’s semi-final win over Wales.

Before victory was secured, the superstar’s misfortune caused despair among tens of thousands of Portuguese fans watching the game on giant screens in Lisbon and Paris. Some thought the tackle was deliberate.

“It will be tough without Ronaldo. The French warned they would cancel him out and they succeeded,” said Rafael Silva, 20, watching in Lisbon’s main Praca do Comercio square.

“He was the victim of an attack by Payet,” said 47-year-old Victor Da Silva who was watching the game in a bar in the 14th district of Paris. – Rappler.com

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