Cristiano Ronaldo sends message to Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira as Portuguese duo win gold at Paris 2024 Olympics
Cristiano Ronaldo sent a message to Portuguese Olympic gold medalists Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira following their triumph in Paris. The duo celebrated their win with the legendary footballer's iconic 'Siuuu' celebration on the podium.
Leitao and Oliveira (55 points) claimed gold in the Men's Madison cycling event, beating Italy's Simone Consonni and Elia Viviani (47) by eight points. Denmark's Michael Morkov and Niklas Larsen settled for bronze with 41 points.
Following the Iberian pair's success, Ronaldo reposted a video of the two on his Instagram story with the caption:
"So proud, champions! Congratulations."
Ronaldo led Portugal to their first international success at Euro 2016 and a second international trophy at the 2019 UEFA Nations League. He recently participated in Euro 2024 at 39 years old but failed to make an impact as the team lost to France in the quarterfinals. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner failed to score a goal and managed one assist in the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the most successful player for Portugal, registering 130 goals and 45 assists in 212 games. Despite his immense success with the national team, he has never claimed an Olympic medal, featuring in only the 2004 edition of the Games in Athens.
Cristiano Ronaldo's influence at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular and influential athletes on the planet due to his immense success in arguably the most popular sport. An example of his influence was seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with many players striking his iconic 'Siuuu' celebration.
Mohamed El-Sayed of Egypt and Yuji Nishida of Japan celebrated in Ronaldo's style after claiming medals in fencing and securing a point in the volleyball event, respectively. The former Manchester United star is in the twilight of his career.
In his illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo has made only one appearance at the Olympics — the 2004 Athens Summer Games. The appearance was a disappointing one, with Portugal finishing last in their group with one win and two losses. The other teams in their group were Iraq, Morocco, and Costa Rica.
The legendary striker is preparing to lead his Saudi pro-league club Al-Nassr to glory in the upcoming season after suffering disappointment in his previous campaigns.