Portugal kicked off their European campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
The match, held in a charged atmosphere, saw Portugal come from behind to secure the win in the dying moments of the game.
The Czechs took the lead in the 62nd minute thanks to Lukas Provod. The Czech side seemed poised to secure a famous win, but their lead was short-lived. Just seven minutes later, Czech defender Robin Hranac inadvertently scored an own goal, bringing the score level at 1-1.
The score remained 1-1 and it looked like the game would end in a draw. However, in the 92nd minute, substitute Francisco Conceicao emerged as Portugal’s hero.
Conceicao came off the bench to find the back of the net and give the Euro 2016 champions a crucial victory.
The late winner sparked wild celebrations among the Portuguese players, while the Czech Republic players were left devastated.
However, it was Ronaldo’s unsportsmanlike celebration that became one of the talking points of the night.
The Portuguese legend was seen taunting the Czech goalkeeper and shouting in the face of another Czech player during the celebrations.
Watch the clip below:
If Emi Martinez behaved this way, he’d be called unprofessional, but when Cristiano Ronaldo does it, it’s seen as passion. pic.twitter.com/XZAtzg7OYn
— J? (@Shadygize) June 19, 2024
This unsportsmanlike conduct drew widespread criticism online, with many fans labelling Ronaldo’s actions as arrogant and classless.
