Georgia stunned Group F winners Portugal in Gelsenkirchen to reach the knockout stages for the first time.
Willy Sagnol’s side were fearless, energised, organised and disciplined against the former winners, who had won all 12 games since they exited the World Cup in the quarter-final in Qatar in 2022.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia streaked away to slam the minnows into a dream lead just 93 seconds in after Georges Mikautadze had played a fine through-ball.
Keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and the well-drilled Georgian defence kept Cristiano Ronaldo – on his record 50th international tournament appearance – at bay and Mikautadze was able to seal the win from the penalty spot on 67 minutes after a VAR intervention.
His third goal in as many games took him into leadership of the race for the golden boot and took World No 74 Georgia into the knockout phase.
They will face 2008 and 2012 winners Spain in the Round of 16 on Sunday (8pm BST) in their first major tournament while Portugal will face Slovenia.
Ronaldo failed to score in the group stage of a major international tournament for the first time in his career, at the 11th attempt, having found the net at every Euros or World Cup from 2004 to 2022.
Not Ronaldo’s night 😬#GEOPOR #BBCEuros #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/s53OxWuhRz
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 26, 2024
📰 Table Of Contents
Ronaldo keeps his place
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez made eight changes, with only Joao Palhinha and Ronaldo retaining their outfield places from the win over Turkey, and employed a back-three, which was soon in tatters.
Georgia took a stunning lead after just 93 seconds as Antonio Silva conceded possession cheaply in midfield and Mikautadze played a perfect through ball into the path of Kvaratskhelia who tore away from Silva before slotting low and hard past Diogo Costa into the corner.
It was the Napoli man’s 16th goal for Georgia in just 33 games.
Ronaldo zipped a 35-yard free-kick through the air which Mamardashvili did well to watch all the way and turn over the bar while Diogo Dalot rose highest to meet a far post cross on the right but sent a downward header off target on 18 minutes.
Ronaldo was left looking at the heavens after Antonio Silva got in his way and ballooned a header from a deep free-kick from Joao Felix over from close range.
Mamardashvili clutched a 25-yard Joao Palhinha swerver to his chest as the pressure continued but then flapped at a corner and was glad to see Francisco Conceicao thump the loose ball into the side-netting.
🚨🇪🇺 All set for Euro 2024 round of 16!
Who’s gonna win the Cup? 🏆👀 pic.twitter.com/KSOjR78oLy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 26, 2024
Ronaldo was booked for dissent complaining about a tug on his shirt in the area and Joao Felix fired another shot past the upright from 20 yards on the half-hour but Kvaratskhelia gave a reminder that Georgia weren’t going anywhere as he cracked an angled effort into the side-netting at the other end.
A cute reverse pass Palhinha superbly found Ronaldo who saw a thunderous effort blocked by the sliding Gvelesiani and it was the Georgia defender who nearly doubled the lead at the other end seconds later as he was within inches of glancing home Kvaratskhelia’s inswinging free-kick.
🇬🇪 Debutants Georgia book last-16 spot!#EURO2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/2YwghjKT01
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024
Joao Felix showed some lovely skill before teeing-up Palhinha to curl past the top-corner from 20 yards and slalomed forward himself before seeing a low shot saved by the keeper before Portuguese frustrations grew as Neto was booked for diving before seeing a corner punched off his own line by Mamardashvili in first-half stoppage time.
More frustration for Portugal
After the break Ronaldo’s temperature rose when a close-range shot looped over the bar off grounded defender Lasha Dvali while Danilo turned the subsequent corner past the post.
Kvaratskhelia scuffed his shot near the penalty spot after a long clearance had caught out the Portugal back line and allowed Watford’s impressive Giorgi Chakvetadze to whip in a cross.
Portugal were on the attack when Georgia were handed a penalty by VAR on 57 minutes after Luka Lochoshvili went down under contact from the beleaguered Antonio Silva.
Mikautadze beat Diogo Costa into the bottom corner to register his second penalty in as many games and take over as the tournament’s top-scorer with three.
Having ridden a disciplinary tight-rope Ronaldo was withdrawn on 65 minutes but despite Portugal’s fresher legs it was Georgia who came close to a third on the break when Chakvetadze burst away from halfway and drove to the edge of the box before fizzing a shot narrowly over the woodwork.
Davitashvili went close in the closing stages as Georgia’s boundless energy continued to bubble away while at the other end Mamardashvili produced an instinctive save to keep out a point-blank volley from sub Nelson Semedo as Portugal sought a consolation in the dying seconds.
Mamardashvili 🚫#EURO2024 | #GEOPOR pic.twitter.com/TXnkxGyekG
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024
