In a stunning twist of fate, and terrific for meme makers, Portugal manage to beat France in the Euro 2016 final, despite Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the match early on, which didn’t stop him from stealing the spotlight anyhow.
Eder, and those who played for 120 minutes, were the heroes of an unimpressive campaign by Portugal, that included just one win in regulation (90 minutes), and once again, some extra time heroics. Ronaldo? He left after 25 minutes, crying, with a butterfly or moth on his face to make the situation even more surreal. Is it him that forcefully steals the show, or is it the media that keeps focusing on him no matter what? Ronaldo acted like a crazed manager on the sidelines, luckily not getting sent off. It reminded everyone of the 2014 & 2016 Champions League finals, with Ronaldo getting to lift the trophy, despite playing poorly, or not doing anything at all.
France somehow f***ed it up, their knees buckling under them at the biggest moment. Portugal didn’t park the bus. They simply played the right way, and France never found the solution, besides having Moussa Sissoko cover every patch of grass on the pitch, something Portugal could live with.
And so, Ronaldo adds another trophy to his impressive collection. Does it make him better than Messi? No, maybe more accomplished on a team level. At least he doesn’t evade taxes.
