DUESSELDORF: Cristiano Ronaldo narrowly avoided being hit by a fan who jumped from the crowd to get close to the soccer star when Portugal played Georgia at the European Championship on Wednesday.
A video widely circulated on social media shows someone leaping over the top of the players’ tunnel at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen as Ronaldo headed to the locker room.
A safety steward rushed to shield the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star and other security staff raced toward the fan, who fell away out of sight.
A bemused-looking Ronaldo stops, but appears to be unharmed. Portugal lost the game 2-0.
Portugal’s Football Federation confirmed the incident, but did not comment. European soccer’s governing body UEFA said it was aware of the incident.
Ronaldo is one of the most famous sporting icons in the world with a massive fan base, which includes 632 million followers on Instagram and nearly 112 million on X.
During Portugal’s previous match against Turkiye in Dortmund on Saturday he was confronted on the field by four supporters who wanted selfies.
Ronaldo posed for one with a young fan who evaded stewards to get on the field in the 69th minute, but looked frustrated when approached by more fans later in the game and after the final whistle.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez coach said after that game that the Al Nassr forward was fortunate not to have been harmed and raised concerns over his security.
“We all love a fan that recognizes the big stars and the big icons in their minds,” he said. “But you can understand it was a very, very difficult moment — if those intentions are wrong, the players are exposed and we need to be careful with that.”
UEFA have said safety and security in the stadium is the “ultimate priority” and that additional safety measures would be deployed to prevent selfie-seeking fans from entering the field.
The 39-year-old Ronaldo is widely-regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time alongside Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona.
He has won the Ballon d’Or for the best player in the world on five occasions and is a six-time Champions League winner.
He now plays for Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr and reportedly earns up to $200 million a year.
Ronaldo is the first player to appear at six European Championships and while he is yet to score at this year’s tournament, he holds the record for the most goals at the Euros with 14.
He could also become the oldest player to score at a Euros — surpassing Luka Modric, who set a record with his goal for Croatia against Italy on Tuesday at the age of 38 years and 289 days.
Despite the shock loss to Georgia, Portugal advanced to the knockout phase of Euro 2024 and will play Slovenia in the round of 16 in Frankfurt on Monday.
Cristiano Ronaldo just avoided being hit by a fan who jumped from the crowd to get to him at Euros
https://arab.news/yp3eb
Cristiano Ronaldo just avoided being hit by a fan who jumped from the crowd to get to him at Euros
- A safety steward rushed to shield the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star and other security staff race toward the fan
Desert Vipers seal playoff spot with record sixth straight ILT20 win
- Chasing 167, the Vipers were guided home by an outstanding all-round display from Sam Curran
DUBAI: The Desert Vipers secured qualification for the International League T20 playoffs after an impressive five-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, becoming the first team in the competition’s history to register six consecutive wins.
Chasing 167, the Vipers were guided home by an outstanding all-round display from Sam Curran, who followed up two key wickets with an unbeaten 52 off 33 balls to clinch the chase with five wickets and several deliveries to spare.
The Capitals had earlier posted a competitive 166 for 4 after recovering from early setbacks. Naseem Shah struck in the third over to remove Shayan Jahangir, but Leus du Plooy anchored the innings with a composed 54 off 44 balls. Gulbadin Naib added 21 before Noor Ahmad dismissed him with a well-disguised googly to halt the momentum.
The decisive moment came in the 14th over when Curran removed du Plooy in the deep and then dismissed Rovman Powell for a golden duck with the very next delivery, leaving the Capitals stalled at 94 for 4. A late surge from Jordan Cox, who finished unbeaten on 49, and skipper Dasun Shanaka, who made 29 not out, lifted the hosts to a defendable total, with 72 runs added in the final six overs.
In reply, Max Holden set the tone with a brisk 34, ensuring the Vipers reached 50 for 1 at the end of the powerplay despite the early loss of Fakhar Zaman. Hassan Nawaz injected momentum in the middle overs with a rapid 31, before Curran and Dan Lawrence steadied the chase and kept the required rate firmly in check.
Although Lawrence and Shimron Hetmyer both fell, Curran remained composed at the crease, anchoring the innings and finding the boundary at key moments to guide the Vipers to victory and extend their unbeaten run.
Player of the match Curran said: “We’re in a good space after putting together a couple of strong performances, and for me, the real satisfaction comes from finishing the job for the team. It went a bit deeper than we would have liked, but my focus is always on reading the situation and seeing the game through.
He continued: “When you’re winning, it simplifies decision-making, but we know we still need to keep improving and carry this momentum into the business end.”
Dubai Capitals captain Shanaka said his side had fallen just short.
“At 166, we had a competitive total, especially considering the quality of their bowling. However, our spinners didn’t hit the lengths we were looking for, and that made a difference,” he said.
“We had the firepower, but in hindsight, another 10 to 15 runs would have put us in a much stronger position,” he added.
The Vipers also used the fixture to highlight environmental awareness, wearing a special jersey featuring ‘Biodiversity Stripes’ made in the UAE from 100 percent recycled materials, as part of wider efforts to promote sustainability and biodiversity conservation.
