Portugal fans across Europe erupted into jubilation on Sunday after their team beat France to win the Euro 2016 and collect their first major international tournament trophy.
Flags waved from cars as jubilant fans celebrated in the streets of Paris, Lisbon, Porto, Lyon, Bodeaux and even Geneva after the game, won 1-0 by a Portugal team denied of star player Ronaldo who was stretchered out after 24 minutes with a knee injury.
Substitute Eder secured the win with a goal in extra time to send cars beeping their horns and thousands of people on to the streets, donning the Portuguese flag and shouting ‘Portugal, Portugal, Portugal.’
Paris has a big Portuguese population who posed for pictures in front of the same landmarks where the host nation had so memorably celebrated their own tournament win in 1998.
Supporters in red and green streamed out of the fan park after watching Ronaldo lift the trophy to celebrate with their countrymen and rejoice in finally having an international honour to call their own.
Lifting the trophy in Paris helped make up for Portugal’s loss to underdog Greece when it hosted the Euros 12 years ago. The country’s last major footballing conquest was in 2006, when Portugal finished fourth in the World Cup.
‘The victory for the national side is recognition of the value of Portuguese soccer and gives prestige to our country,’ said the Portuguese Football Association in a statement.
For a country that suffered hard under Europe’s debt crisis but is now recovering economically under its new Socialist government, the victory will be a welcome relief.
For the French it was unexpected despair as the saw their home heroes crumble under the burden of expectation at the same stadium where their manager Didier Deschamps had lifted the World Cup in 1998.
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