Ryan Garcia offers words of consolation to Cristiano Ronaldo following crucial penalty miss at Euro 2024: "The best that has touched the pitch"
Ryan Garcia praised soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo after his penalty miss against Slovenia in Round 16 of Euro 2024. While Portugal advanced to the quarterfinals, a key moment in the game was when Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak denied Ronaldo a goal from the penalty spot.
Moments after the miss, Ronaldo was seen crying for the missed goal, which has become one of the strongest visuals from the match. Boxing star Ryan Garcia took to Instagram and sent a message of encouragement to Ronaldo, hailing him as "the best that has touched the pitch." Garcia wrote:
"Love you my brother in Christ. Don’t worry about penalty shots. You are the best that has touched the pitch. Love you @cristiano"
Speaking about the crucial moment from the match and his reaction, Ronaldo said:
"There is initial sadness and joy at the end. That's what football brings - inexplicable moments. From the eighth to 80th. That's what happened today. Did I have the opportunity to give the team the lead? I couldn't do it. Oblak made a good save. During the year, I didn't fail once, and when I needed it the most, Oblak made the save. It's a feeling of happiness and sadness at the same time. It's more important to enjoy it." [Translated from Portuguese]
Check out Cristiano Ronaldo's comments below:
Ryan Garcia is going through a tumultuous phase in life
Ryan Garcia extended support to Cristiano Ronaldo at a time when he is going through a rough patch in his personal and professional life. In April, Garcia secured the biggest win of his professional boxing career when he defeated WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. However, he was ineligible to become the champion as he missed weight.
A few days after the victory, it was revealed that Garcia failed a pre-fight drug test. He was suspended for one year after the B sample returned a positive test and was also fined $1.1 million. His win over Haney was also overturned to a No Contest.
As Garcia has suffered this setback on the professional front, he recently revealed that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer and hinted at the fact that he might be retiring from the sport altogether.