Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to make an impact on the pitch but delivered an inspiring speech at half-time to spur his teammates as Portugal clinched their first major international trophy.
As the team parade the European Championship in front of their adoring fans, the aftermath of last night's incredible triumph is slowly surfacing. The eventual match winner came from an unlikely source in Eder. The former Premier League frontman revealed how Ronaldo gave him the confidence as he entered the fray.
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The talisman's words of encouragement didn't stop there, though. As Southampton's Cedric Soares revealed that the iconic skipper put his own disappointment aside by delivering a rousing half-time pep talk to rally his teammates to victory.
"It was a very, very tough moment. It was a really tough moment for me and for the team. I think everybody was a little bit in shock but at half-time Cristiano had fantastic words with us."
The 31-year-old was brought to tears after he had to be substituted despite trying to remain on the field of play, but he was still determined to do his part.
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"He gave us a lot of confidence and he said, 'Listen people, I'm sure we will win this Euro so stay together and fight for it'. It was unbelievable. All the team had a fantastic attitude and showed that when you fight as one you are much much stronger. He was fantastic. His attitude was unbelievable. At half-time he helped a lot, our colleagues, he had always a lot of motivational words. All the team reacted to them so it was very, very good."
Ronaldo disguised his knee injury well following his emotional and passionate antics on the touchline as he stood side-by-side with boss Fernando Santos. It's now time for Portugal to receive a heroes welcome!
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