In a historic moment for Georgian football, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia savored a pivotal victory over Portugal in Euro 2024, securing their first-ever advancement to the tournament’s round of 16.
With a population under 4 million, Georgia celebrated a remarkable 2-0 win, marking a pinnacle in their footballing history.
Kvaratskhelia, who scored the opening goal early in the match wanted to achieve a personal goal: swapping jerseys with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both players, substituted in the second half, exchanged shirts despite Ronaldo’s initial discontent, a gesture that thrilled the 23-year-old Georgian.
Sharing his delight on social media, Kvaratskhelia posted a photo of Ronaldo’s jersey beside his Player of the Match award, captioned simply with “Dreams” and a heart emoji.
His admiration for Ronaldo, whom he had idolized for years, was evident in his gratitude for Ronaldo’s pre-match encouragement, describing him as not only a great player but also a great person whose support bolstered Georgia’s confidence.
Their encounter was more than a match; it bridged back to 2013 when Ronaldo visited Georgia to inaugurate the Dinamo Tbilisi academy, a moment etched in Kvaratskhelia’s memory.
Despite Portugal finishing atop Group F and Georgia claiming third place, both teams advanced to the knockout stage, setting up further challenges against Slovenia and Spain, respectively.
Article updated 4 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
