David Slays Goliath: Georgia Stuns Ronaldo's Portugal in Euro 2024 Shocker!

In a jaw-dropping turn of events at Euro 2024, tournament debutants Georgia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in European Championship history, defeating Cristiano Ronaldo's star-studded Portugal 2-0 on Wednesday night.

The match, held in Gelsenkirchen, saw Georgia - ranked 74th in the world - outplay the group leaders Portugal, leaving fans and pundits alike in disbelief. Napoli's rising star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, nicknamed 'Kvaradona', opened the scoring just two minutes into the game, setting the tone for what would become a historic night for Georgian football.

Georgia's fairy tale continued in the 57th minute when Georges Mikautadze converted a penalty, doubling their lead and ultimately securing their place in the knockout stages of their first-ever major tournament.

Georgia's 2-0 win over Portugal

The victory was made even sweeter by the frustration of Portugal's talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo. The 39-year-old superstar had a night to forget, receiving a yellow card for protesting a denied penalty claim before being substituted after 66 minutes. Ronaldo's visible anger, which included kicking a water bottle as he left the pitch, epitomized Portugal's unexpected struggle.

Georgia's goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, emerged as a hero, denying Ronaldo and his teammates multiple times to maintain the clean sheet. His performance, coupled with Kvaratskhelia's magic, ensured Georgia's dream run continues into the round of 16.

While Portugal had already secured their spot as Group F winners, this defeat raises questions about their title aspirations. For Georgia, however, the fairytale is far from over as they prepare to face Spain in the knockout phase on Saturday.

This David versus Goliath story serves as a reminder of why we love football - on any given day, the impossible can become possible, and dreams can come true on the grand stage of international football.

Score: Georgia 2 - 0 Portugal

Goals:

• 2' Kvaratskhelia K. (Assisted by Mikautadze G.)
• 57' Mikautadze G. (Penalty)

Key Events:

• 28' Yellow card: Ronaldo C. (Unsportsmanlike conduct)
• 44' Yellow card: Neto P. (Diving)
• 53' Yellow card: Neves R. (Holding)
• 85' Yellow card: Mekvabishvili A. (Roughing, misses next match)

Notable Substitutions:

• 66' Ronaldo C. replaced by Ramos G.
• 81' Kvaratskhelia K. replaced by Davitashvili Z.

Match Statistics:

• Expected Goals (xG): Georgia 1.43 - 1.55 Portugal
• Ball Possession: Georgia 32% - 68% Portugal
• Goal Attempts: Georgia 7 - 23 Portugal

Despite having less possession and fewer attempts, Georgia managed to secure a surprising 2-0 victory over Portugal, demonstrating remarkable efficiency in converting their chances.

Georgia vs Portugal 2:0 Match Highlights