Portugal loses to Croatia as Cristiano Ronaldo benched

In a friendly match between Croatia and Portugal for the Euro 2024 tournament on Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo's team was defeated 2-1.

Zlatko Dalic's team defeated the Euro 2016 champions to give rivals Spain and Italy a scare in Group B, Goal reported.

Portugal, one of the favourites to win the competition, suffered just their second loss in 13 games under the Spanish coach Roberto Martinez.

In the match, Martinez decided to bench talisman Ronaldo.

After the match, Martinez said to the media: "Today’s game had a negative result. We want to win, it’s the best way to grow, but today there are also positives to take; winning against Croatia doesn’t make us good enough to win the tournament; losing doesn’t mean we will not qualify for the last 16."

Portugal head coach Martinez's decision to leave Ronaldo out was a bold move, especially considering his vast experience and expertise.

As the match began, within six minutes Croatia was given a penalty as Mateo Kovacic was fouled in the box. However, Luca Modric stepped up and scored a goal for Croatia.

The 17th edition of the European Championship will be held in Germany from June 14 to July 14, as 24 teams compete for the title.