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10th Jul 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo in tears as injury forces him out of Euro 2016 final

He tried to play through the pain

Simon Lloyd

Well this definitely wasn’t in the Cristiano Ronaldo script.

Before the final at the Stade de France, many suggested that if Portugal were going to upset the odds and beat France, Cristiano Ronaldo – as he has done on many an occasion throughout his international career – would have to inspire his team-mates.

But after just a few minutes, the multi-Ballon D’Or winner went down after a tangle with Dimitri Payet, clutching his left knee.

He battled on, but with 16 minutes played, he was on the deck again. The tears on his face suggested his night was over.

The Portuguese medical staff strapped his knee up but it wasn’t enough. Ronaldo eventually left the field of play on a stretcher after just 24 minutes.

Not for the first time in footballing history, an international final at the Stade de France turns out to be a bad night for Ronaldo.