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An emotional, frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo threw his captain's armband to the floor after defeat in what could be his last ever Euros game

Jun 28, 2021, 16:53 IST
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Cristiano Ronaldo throws his captain's armband to the floor after Portugal was defeated by Belgium in Euro 2020. THANASSIS STAVRAKIS / Contributor
  • Cristiano Ronaldo threw his captain's armband to the floor and kicked it as Portugal exited Euro 2020.
  • Portugal was knocked out in the round of 16 thanks to a 1-0 loss against Belgium.
  • The Juventus star will be 39 by the time of the next tournament, meaning he may well miss out.
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An emotional Cristiano Ronaldo threw down his captain's armband in disgust after his country exited Euro 2020 in what could be his final Euros game.

Portugal was defeated at the hands of Belgium Sunday evening, losing 1-0 thanks to a Thorgan Hazard goal in the 42nd minute.

After the match, Ronaldo was seen removing his armband and throwing it to the floor. He then picked it up and left the field.

As he left the Stadium La Cartuja Sevilla pitch, Ronaldo threw his armband down again. He then proceeded to kick it before a member of staff picked it up.

You can see a video of the moment, seemingly taken by a fan in the stadium, below:

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Sunday's game is not the first time Ronaldo has thrown his captain's armband to the floor in outrage or anger. During a World Cup qualifier in March, Ronaldo stormed off the field and threw his armband down after being denied a clear winner during injury time.

At the time, Ronaldo's behavior was labelled "unacceptable" by one pundit.

In the Euro 2020 match against Belgium, Ronaldo cut an isolated figure as his side struggled to control the ball. He only managed four shots in the game, one more than substitute João Félix who came on in the 54th minute, and only one of them was on target.

He also extended his unwanted record of number of unsuccessful free kicks taken without scoring to 51 with his latest attempt being a tame effort into the gloves of Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Ronaldo exits the tournament as top scorer, but could be overtaken between now and the final with the Czech Republic's Patrik Schick just one goal behind him. Other players still in the tournament, including Belgium's Romelu Lukaku, are also close behind.

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The end of Ronaldo at the Euros?

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (c) lifts the Henri Delaunay trophy after his side win 1-0 against France during the UEFA EURO 2016 Final match between Portugal and France Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

At 36 and with the next European Championships three years away, we may well have seen Ronaldo's last Euro game, which could go some way to explaining the emotions behind his reaction.

Ronaldo made his first appearance in the championships back in 2004 when his home country was the hosts. He also scored his first international goal during the tournament when he netted in a 2-1 loss to Greece who would go on to win the competition, defeating Portugal in the final.

At Euro 2008, Ronaldo scored just one goal before Portugal was knocked out by Germany in the quarter-finals.

Portugal went one round better in Euro 2012, but it was defeated by eventual champions Spain in the semi-final. Ronaldo ended the tournament joint top-scorer on three goals.

In 2016, Ronaldo's Portugal righted the wrongs of 2004 as they won the tournament thanks to an extra-time goal from Eder. Ronaldo ended on three goals again, but was forced to watch the final from the sidelines when an injury saw him substituted in the 25th minute.

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If the Belgium defeat is to be his last game, Ronaldo ends with a Euro record of 14 goals in 24 games, making him the highest scorer in tournament history.

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