Portugal match at Euro 2024 interrupted four times by Ronaldo supporters

Portugal's Euro 2024 match against Turkey in Dortmund was repeatedly interrupted by fans entering the pitch for selfies with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Chirag

June 24, 2024

Portugal Match Was Halted 4 Times — Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Portugal’s victory over Turkey in Group F of Euro 2024 in Dortmund was marred by repeated interruptions as fans invaded the pitch for selfies with Cristiano Ronaldo. Two additional incidents occurred after the match.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez expressed serious concern about the incidents, stressing that such behavior should not be tolerated and urging other supporters not to follow suit.

“It’s worrying, although today we were fortunate that the fans’ intentions were benign,” Martinez remarked. “Fans admire big stars and icons, but it becomes very problematic if their intentions are misguided and players are put at risk.

“This shouldn’t happen. There is ample security in place to prevent such occurrences. Perhaps there’s a message here for those fans: this is not the appropriate way to behave. It’s a warning that such incidents could escalate in the future, and it’s concerning that players are so vulnerable on the field.”

Ronaldo, now with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, responded by smiling and posing for a photo with a young boy who breached security to reach him in the 70th minute.

The boy, around 10 years old, embraced Ronaldo before evading stewards until he was eventually caught near the sidelines. As he was escorted away, stewards and substitutes on the touchline patted him on the head, and the crowd cheered as he waved goodbye.

Fifteen minutes later, a teenager attempted a similar feat, but Ronaldo intervened, gesturing for him to leave before security intercepted him. On both occasions, referee Felix Zwayer halted the match until the intruders were removed.

In stoppage time, two adult men also entered the pitch and approached Ronaldo with their phones before being apprehended by security personnel.

After the final whistle, two more fans repeated the stunt, though it did not disrupt play.

These incidents will prompt UEFA to conduct an automatic investigation into stadium security, particularly as the venue is set to host Germany’s round-of-16 match and a semifinal later in the tournament.