Euro 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo injured in finals

“I’ve just lost my second final in just over a month and it sucks”, Griezmann told reporters after Les Bleus lost 1-0 in extra-time to Ronaldo’s Portugal in the European Championship final on Sunday. “The overriding emotion is a lot of sadness”. Ronaldo returned from treatment at the end of 90 minutes to give pep talks to his teammates.

European football’s biggest game lost its biggest name after 25 minutes of a cagey final on the outskirts of the French capital.

France forward Antoine Griezmann has been named UEFA EURO 2016 Player of the Tournament by UEFA’s technical observers after finishing with six goals and two assists.

Even France forward Antoine Griezmann, the tournament’s leading scorer, couldn’t rise to the big occasion.

France coach Didier Deschamps, who helped Griezmann shine at the tournament by moving him closer to Olivier Giroud up front, offered sympathy.

Griezmann was the first player to find the target, but his header was tipped over by Rui Patricio, who was formidable in the Portugal goal.

RONALDO APPLAUDED The sultry night began with a swarm of moths flitting around the French national stadium and littering the playing surface.

Portugal’s dreams of lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy looked to have taken a shattering blow when Ronaldo, their captain and talisman, fell to the ground in agony in the eighth minute following a clattering challenge from Dimitri Payet.

After having his left knee heavily strapped, Ronaldo re-entered the fray, only to go down again, flinging his armband to the floor.

Ronaldo watched the game forlornly on the touchline as strapping was attached before dragging himself back onto the field. Battling through the pain, regularly reaching down to check on the injury, Ronaldo realized there would be no miracle recovery.

With 11 minutes of the extra period to play, the killer goal arrived as Eder held off Laurent Koscielny and drove a crisp shot into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards.

France’s Moussa Sissoko stepped into the spotlight vacated by Ronaldo, driving a left-foot shot over the bar and then stinging Rui Patricio’s palms after nutmegging Adrien Silva with a slick Cruyff turn.

Unlike his great rival Lionel Messi, the Argentina and Barcelona forward, the 31-year-old Ronaldo has now filled the medal void on the major global stage.