In a stunning upset, Georgia defeated former champions Portugal 2-0 on Wednesday to secure a place in the knockout stages of Euro 2024.
This marks a historic moment for the nation, their first ever advancement in a major tournament since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The victory was orchestrated by a well-organized Georgia side under manager Willy Sagnol.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Napoli winger, opened the scoring in the second minute after capitalizing on a defensive error by Portugal’s Antonio Silva.
Cristiano Ronaldo, seeking the record for oldest Euro scorer at 39, was heavily marked and unable to find the net for Portugal.
Despite fielding a strong contingent, Portugal were already qualified for the next round and entered the match with a largely second-string lineup.
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Georgia doubled their lead in the 53rd minute through a Georges Mikautadze penalty.
This penalty was awarded after a VAR check confirmed a foul committed by Silva in the box.
This win propels Georgia into a last-16 clash against three-time Euro champions, Spain.
The victory also sets the stage for other exciting round-of-16 matchups, including England facing Slovakia, Romania taking on Netherlands, and Portugal facing Slovenia.
Hungary, who were previously in contention for a knockout spot, were narrowly edged out by Georgia’s impressive performance.