Cristiano Ronaldo once threw away his captain’s armband in anger; here’s how it became a life-saving moment for 6-month-old boy with rare disease

Cristiano Ronaldo's discarded armband once helped save the life of a six-month-old baby, according to The Guardian. The incident occured in March 2021, during Portugal's 2-2 draw against Serbia in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner looked to have scored the winner in injury time, after lifting the ball over the opposition goalkeeper. While it appeared that the ball had crossed the line before it was cleared by defender Stefan Mitrovic, the goal was disallowed.

Cristiano Ronaldo, understandably, was furious with the decision. On his way to the dressing room, the player took off his armband and threw it to the ground in frustration.

It was picked up by a firefighter on duty, Djordje Vukicevic, after the game, and handed over to a charity organization. They put it up for an online auction to raise funds for the treatment of six-month-old Gavrilo Djurdjevic, who was suffering from spinal muscular atrophy.

The three-day auction received great publicity and wasn't without controversy. However, Serbian TV later confirmed that the armband was sold for €64,000 (£54,000), although they didn't disclose the buyer's name.

Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo's actions on the pitch were criticized, and he later took to Instagram to share his views. He wrote:

“I always give and will give everything for my country, that will never change. But there are difficult times to deal with, especially when we feel that an entire nation is being harmed.”

Speaking later to A Bola, Dutch referee Danny Makkelie apologized for the decision.

“As a referee team, we always work hard to make good decisions. When we are in the news in this manner, it doesn’t make us happy at all.”

Ronaldo has scored 138 goals from 221 games for Portugal.

---

How many trophies has Cristiano Ronaldo won with Portugal to date?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has won three trophies with Portugal so far. The 40-year-old first found success with his nation at Euro 2016, where he helped them clinch the trophy.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner followed that up with the 2019 UEFA Nations League win. Ronaldo won the Nations League once again earlier this month, which was the 34th trophy of his career.

The Portuguese superstar currently plies his trade with Al-Nassr, although his contract expires at the end of this month. Ronaldo has scored 93 goals from 105 games for the Saudi club to date, and has won the Arab Club Emirates Cup.