Cristiano Ronaldo. Sipa USA

Cristiano Ronaldo makes unwanted history at Euro 2024

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Jun 27, 2024 10:34 AM ET

Barely 30 seconds into the second half against Georgia, Portugal had a corner kick after a Francisco Conceicao shot was deflected. The set piece evaded at least five Georgian defenders and found Cristiano Ronaldo in prime position to convert from close range. Ronaldo would miss the bunny (at least by his standards) and have his shot deflected over the bar.

The missed opportunity was one of 12 shots on target that Ronaldo had missed in Euro 2024, including an earlier free-kick on Wednesday from his beloved left wing. By finishing the group stage with zero goals, the Portuguese icon created some unwanted history for himself in the final leg of his career.

For the first time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to score in the group stage of a major international tournament.

Euro 2004 ✅
World Cup 2006 ✅
Euro 2008 ✅
World Cup 2010 ✅
Euro 2012 ✅
World Cup 2014 ✅
Euro 2016 ✅
World Cup 2018 ✅
Euro 2020 ✅
World Cup… pic.twitter.com/NiZqJmh9uW
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 26, 2024

Ronaldo's frustrations were only amplified when he received a yellow card for arguing with a referee after he felt Georgian center-back Luka Lochoshvili grabbed his shirt in the 18-yard box.

Cristiano Ronaldo was heated and got a yellow card after arguing with the official after he claimed that a Georgia player pulled his shirt in the box. pic.twitter.com/gpFiSTTZ4g
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 26, 2024

By the 67th minute, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez had seen enough, subbing out Ronaldo for Goncalo Ramos. The decision upset Ronaldo, who could be seen kicking a water bottle near the dugout after the substitution. In Martinez's defense, Portugal had already advanced to the Round of 16 following their wins over Turkey and Czechia, and the outcome of Wednesday's game was insignificant.

Yet, Portugal's stunning 2-0 loss to Georgia — the biggest upset in Euros history by FIFA rankings —marked the country's first competitive defeat since the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal loss to Morocco and coach Martinez's first major loss in charge of A Selecao.

Ronaldo will resume his hunt for his first Euro 2024 goal when Portugal faces Slovenia in the Round of 16 on Monday. The Portuguese find themselves in a difficult bracket that includes powerhouses such as Spain, France, Germany and Belgium.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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