Portugal’s underdog victory at UEFA Euro 2016 gave Cristiano Ronaldo his first major international trophy. Despite being injured in the final and leaving in tears in the 25th minute, Ronaldo coached from the sideline as substitute Éder scored the 109th-minute winner against France, securing Portugal’s first European Championship.
Tournament Journey
Portugal scraped through the group stage with three draws (1-1 Iceland, 0-0 Austria, 3-3 Hungary), finishing third in Group F. They advanced as one of the best third-place teams.
In knockouts, Portugal won every match: Croatia 1-0 (extra time), Poland 5-3 (penalties after 1-1), Wales 2-0 (Ronaldo scored both), and France 1-0 (extra time). They didn’t win a single match in regulation until the semifinals.
The Final
July 10, 2016, Stade de France. Portugal vs. host nation France. In the 8th minute, France’s Dimitri Payet kneed Ronaldo in the left knee. Ronaldo tried to continue but collapsed in tears in the 25th minute, carried off on a stretcher.
Portugal defended desperately through 90 minutes (0-0) and extra time. Ronaldo, leg bandaged, paced the touchline like a coach, shouting instructions and encouragement. In the 109th minute, substitute Éder—who had scored just 4 goals in 29 caps—struck from 25 yards to beat Hugo Lloris. Portugal held on.
Ronaldo lifted the trophy, hobbling on crutches. The image of him crying on the field, then crying with joy holding the Henri Delaunay Trophy, became iconic.
Narrative Completion
The victory silenced critics who claimed Ronaldo “never shows up for Portugal.” He had dragged them to the final (3 goals, 3 assists in tournament) and motivated them to win even without playing most of the match.
The win positioned Ronaldo ahead in the Messi-Ronaldo debate—he now had a major international trophy while Messi had lost four finals with Argentina (2007 Copa, 2014 World Cup, 2015 Copa, 2016 Copa). Messi briefly retired from Argentina before returning.
Legacy
Portugal returned to glory, hosting Nations League 2019 (winning it) and reaching Euro 2020 Round of 16. Ronaldo became Portugal’s all-time leading scorer (currently 130+ goals) and appearance holder (200+ caps).
The Éder goal remains one of football’s most improbable moments—a journeyman forward scoring the winning goal in a major final. Ronaldo’s sideline coaching performance showed leadership beyond his playing ability.
Source: UEFA Euro 2016