On Wednesday evening’s Euro 2024 outing, Georgia defeated Portugal 2-0, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo with an unwanted record at the summer tournament.
The Portuguese superstar failed to score for the third consecutive match, marking his longest drought in a major international competition, Footballrover reports.
Portugal’s rotated squad struggled against Georgia in their final group stage match.
Despite dominating possession with 72%, they could not break through the resilient Georgian defence.
Georgia’s victory, with just 28% possession, set a record for the lowest possession by a winning team at the UEFA European Championship since 1980, according to OptaJoe.
Early in the match, Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the opener, putting Georgia ahead.
Ronaldo gave Kvaratskhelia his shirt after his MOTM performance vs. Portugal ???????? pic.twitter.com/k4blrPAlF0
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 26, 2024
Georges Mikautadze doubled the lead in the second half, securing the win for the underdogs.
Despite numerous attempts and their huge possession, Portugal failed to convert their chances.
Ronaldo, visibly frustrated after being substituted, was spotted kicking a bottle on the touchline.
His only direct contribution in the tournament so far has been an assist for Bruno Fernandes during Portugal’s 3-0 win against Turkey.
This tournament marks Ronaldo’s 10th major international competition with Portugal.
However, he has failed to score in the group stage for the first time. His last non-penalty goal in an international tournament came 10 appearances ago, adding to his current struggles.
Despite these challenges, Ronaldo still managed to make history for himself at Euro 2024 by becoming the first European player to make 50 appearances in major international tournaments.
The match against Georgia was his 210th appearance for Portugal.
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first European player to make 50 appearances at major tournaments ???????? pic.twitter.com/sCcbj4Rz19
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 26, 2024
Looking ahead, Ronaldo and Portugal will now aim to rebound in the round of 16, where they will face Slovenia in Frankfurt.
The Portuguese star will obviously prepare and hope to end his scoring drought and lead his team to further success in the knockout stages.
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