Cristiano Ronaldo reacts with 2-word message after Portugal win U-17 European Championship

Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo reacted to Portugal winning the U-17 European Championship by beating France 3-0 in the final at the Arena Kombetare in Tirana, Albania, on Sunday (June 1).

Anisio Cabral got the ball rolling at the half-hour mark in the Albanian capital before Duarte Cunha put the Selecao two goals to the good eight minutes later. At the hour mark, Gil Neves put the result beyond doubt as they celebrated their third continental U-17 crown.

Having knocked out holders Italy on penalties in the semis, Portugal dominated proceedings and led 2-0 at the break. France tried to muster a response after conceding a third, striking the woodwork and forcing the opposition goalkeeper to make a slew of saves.

However, the Selecao had done enough to end their nine-year continental trophy drought, having also triumphed in 2003 and 2016. Ronaldo reacted to his U-17 counterpart's triumph by posting on Instagram story (as translated from Portuguese):

"Congratulations, stars"

Here's a screenshot of his story:

Cristiano Ronaldo IG Story Screenshot (Ronaldo/IG stories)

Portugal coach Bino also hailed his team's win (as per UEFA):

"We knew France had very fast wingers and were always getting lots of players into the box, and we prepared a strategy that worked well. More importantly, it was interpreted very well by my players – that was the key.

"It's an incredible feeling to win this tournament with an excellent performance from my players. We faced great teams and, to become European champions as we did, we had to show great consistency."

Ronaldo has played seven U-17 matches for Portugal, scoring five times and providing an assist.

How has Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo fared in club football this season?

Cristiano Ronaldo is in the midst of an impressive sophomore season with Al-Nassr, whom he joined on a free transfer in December 2022 after two decades in European football.

Although he hasn't scaled the heights of the previous campaign - when he bagged 44 strikes, including a record 36 in the Saudi Pro League - the 40-year-old has put up decent numbers. Ronaldo has 35 goals and four assists in 41 games across competitions.

Ronaldo's latest strike came in the 3-2 defeat at Al-Fateh on the final day of the league season on Sunday (June 1), having also netted in the 2-0 home win over Al-Khaleej in the penultimate matchday.

Despite the defeat, Stefano Pioli's side finished third in the top flight, a whopping 13 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav