In the end, Cristiano Ronaldo had his winner’s medal, even if it was not the way the great showman had intended. Portugal, the team that finished third in their group, had found a way even on a night when their greatest player left the pitch on a stretcher. The players of France were on their knees and, on the far touchline, Ronaldo could be seen trying to make sense of an extraordinary story and take in all the contrasting emotions.
Ronaldo’s damaged knee might have been a grievous setback but Portugal refused to let it be the decisive factor. They gave everything to keep out France during those long passages when they were put under pressure and, ultimately, Éder’s decisive goal in the second period of extra time won a test of endurance. Their run of 10 successive defeats to France, stretching back to 1975, is over and they can reflect on the greatest achievement in the history of their national team. Their tactics will not appeal to everyone but nobody could possibly dispute their toughness to cope after the jarring challenge that meant their three-time Ballon d’Or winner could play only a bit-part role in the glory.
