“‘WE WON FOR DIOGO.’” — CRISTIANO RONALDO COULDN’T HOLD BACK THE TEARS AFTER PORTUGAL’S EMOTIONAL WORLD CUP VICTORY One year after the tragic death of Diogo Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo delivered an unforgettable tribute following Portugal’s dramatic 2-1 World Cup victory over Croatia. Fighting back tears after the final whistle, Ronaldo walked onto the pitch wearing Jota’s iconic No. 21 shirt before pointing to the sky in a heartbreaking moment that left fans around the world emotional.
‘WE WON FOR DIOGO’
Cristiano Ronaldo breaks down in tears as he wears Diogo Jota shirt in emotional tribute on first anniversary of death
CRISTIANO RONALDO broke down in tears as he wore a replica Diogo Jota shirt following Portugal’s dramatic World Cup win.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner paid an emotional tribute to his teammate on the one-year anniversary of his death.
Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted on tears after Portugal’s win over CroatiaCredit: AFP
Ronaldo wipes away tears while wearing a Diogo Jota shirt in tribute to his teammateCredit: AFP
CR7 was spotted wearing the number 21 Portugal shirt following their controversial 2-1 last 32 win over Croatia.
Ronaldo was also seen tearing up on the pitch following the final whistle in Toronto, Canada.
It comes exactly a year after Jota was killed in a car crash in Spain on July 3rd, last year.
The two were close friends on the international stage, and also off the pitch.
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Fans at home spotted the 41-year-old wiping away tears from his eyes, clearly emotional after the World Cup clash.
“Cristiano Ronaldo points at the sky in tears while wearing Diogo Jota’s shirt,” one said on X.
“This is for Diogo.”
Another added: “Genuinely brought tears to my eyes.
Ronaldo is flanked by his Portugal teammates as he points to the sky in tributeCredit: EPA
Ronaldo hugs Portugal teammate Bernardo Silva following the game in TorontoCredit: AFP
“The leadership and profound respect Ronaldo has shown today is unmatched.
“Keeping Diogo Jota‘s memory alive on the biggest stage of all. He will never be forgotten.”
Ronaldo continued to wear the Jota shirt into the post-game interview after winning the man of the match award.
He said: “We knew what does this date mean for us. We knew it.
“We won for Diogo, for us, for Portugal
“We knew it before the game, it was such a special moment.
“We speak today before the game, our group, that the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable.
“It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game.”
Ronaldo, 41, had earlier scored the spot-kick leveller for Roberto Martinez’s men after a VAR check.
Ronaldo holds up the Jota 21 shirt along with his Portugal teammates post-gameCredit: Reuters
Ronaldo dons the iconic 21 shirt, which Jota wore for years with Portugal before his deathCredit: Reuters
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid man was then taken OFF with nine minutes of normal time left as a stunning second half exploded into action.
It meant Ronaldo was in the dug-out when Goncalo Ramos headed home what proved to be the winner four minutes into stoppage time.
But he looked aghast in the 103rd minute, when Croatia appeared to have snatched an equaliser through Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol.
That was only for ANOTHER VAR check to see Mateo Pasalic ruled offside in the build-up.
And when the final whistle went after 19 extra minutes, Ronaldo staged his tribute.
After walking slowly into the pitch with his teammates, he unfurled a red Portuguese shirt with Jota and his number on the back.
He wore it leading the squad in front of the joyous fans.
A photograph of Jota, who died in a car crash last summer, had also been shown on the giant screens in BMO Field after the Portuguese anthem was played pre-match.
And Ronaldo then gathered the entire Portugal squad and coaching staff on halfway.
He took off the shirt and turned it round to display Jota’s number again.
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The Al-Nassr star also pointed to the sky in tribute.
The victory means Ronaldo, who scored his first knock-out goal in six tournaments and 11th World Cup strike in all, will play Spain in Dallas on Monday.
