Cristiano Ronaldo narrowly avoided being struck by a fan who rushed towards him following Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to Georgia in the Euro 2024 on Wednesday.
A widely circulated video on social media shows a fan jumping over the player tunnel at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, as Ronaldo was leaving the field.
A security officer quickly moved to protect the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star, while another security personnel chased after the fan, who disappeared from view.
Ronaldo stopped, looking bewildered, but appeared uninjured.
The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed the incident but did not comment further. The governing body of European football, UEFA, stated it was aware of the incident.
Gelsenkirchen police said the matter was not within their jurisdiction.
In Portugal’s previous match against Turkey on Saturday in Dortmund, four fans stormed the pitch seeking selfies with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo stopped a young fan who dodged the stewards to enter the field in the 69th minute but seemed frustrated when more fans approached him later in the game and after the final whistle.
Portugal’s coach, Roberto Martínez, expressed concern for Ronaldo’s safety after the match, stating, “Everyone loves a fan who recognizes great stars and icons in their minds, but it was a very, very difficult moment. If those intentions are wrong, players are exposed, and we must be careful about that.”
UEFA emphasized that stadium security is a “top priority” and announced additional security measures would be implemented to prevent fans seeking selfies from entering the field.
Despite the surprising loss to Georgia, Portugal advanced to the knockout stage of Euro 2024 and will face Slovenia in the round of 16 in Frankfurt on Monday.
