Portugal kicked off its UEFA Euro 2024 on a positive yet monotonous note. Roberto Martino’s men struggled to clinch a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Matchday 1 of the group stage, edging through with a winning goal from Francisco Conceicao. While celebrating the match-winner, skipper Cristiano Ronaldo seemed so entranced in the last-moment-euphoria of the win, that he made a rather shocking gesture towards the Czechia goalkeeper. 

As it happened in the game, after the first half ended in a stalemate, Czechia took the lead just after the hour mark as midfielder Lukas Provod scored from outside the box. The tables leveled when Czechia’s Robin Hranac netted an own goal due to an unlucky deflection. With both sides trying to find a winning goal, the substitute Francisco Conceicao won it for Portugal with a simple tap-in in injury time.

Interestingly, as the whole team rushed towards the 21-year-old to celebrate the goal, Ronaldo was also near the box. As the Al Nassr star ran towards the corner to celebrate the lead, he glanced at Czech goalie Jindrich Stanek, who, on the other hand, was frustrated with his team for conceding the goal. Ronaldo did more than just glance; he made a celebratory punching gesture in the air while looking directly at Stanek.

It certainly seemed as if the 39-year-old was taking a dig at the Czech goalkeeper for conceding the goal. Nevertheless, this incident has stirred controversy online, with many criticizing Ronaldo for his on-pitch antics.

Cristiano Ronaldo gets grilled by fans for celebrating Portugal’s winner from Francisco Conceicao over Czech Republic

The exact moment was shared by several pages on X, formerly Twitter. While they shared it to depict it as an ‘ice-cold’ moment, netizens are instead furious over Cristiano Ronaldo for his celebration.

It is certainly not the first time CR7 has showcased such gestures. Rather than respecting the rivals, the striker chooses to boast about the win to the goalkeeper’s face, something that this netizen finds disrespectful.

This fan has summed up the whole instance in just one word; ‘Cringeworthy.’ This reaction clearly suggests that it was an unnecessary merrymaking from Ronaldo.

If the former Real Madrid star had gotten his name on the scoresheet or had even made a significant contribution to the game, then his reaction would have been duly noted. However, the fact is that the skipper was absent on the pitch and above all had the audacity to make this gesture.

You may recall the instance when Vinicius Jr. was criticized for making a similar gesture, which later backfired on him as fans slammed him on social media. However, when Ronaldo did it, it is being labeled as ‘cold,’ an irony that this fan finds difficult to accept.

Had it been a World Cup final or even if Czech goalie Jindrich Stanek had been trash-talking throughout the game and then received his comeuppance by conceding the goal, then Ronaldo’s actions would have been understandable and he might have been pardoned. But tonight’s gesture was ‘classless‘ according to this fan.

While many are defensive about Ronaldo’s celebration antics, others look discontented. But we would like to hear your take on this situation in the comments.