Cristiano Ronaldo's 7 Most Spectacular Tantrums, Ranked

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, walked out on the Portugal national team, the latest in a series of outbursts that have come to define the twilight of his career. Per www.si.com, the specifics of that walkout have not been confirmed, but the pattern is unmistakable.

The article frames his tantrums as part of his "absolute refusal to be anything other than the main character" in any given situation. His career, the source notes, is pockmarked by "increasingly petty (yet entertaining) grievances, sideshows and outbursts."

That framing matters because it recasts the meltdowns from blemishes into features. The piece argues that when Ronaldo finally retires, fans will remember the trophies, the leaps, the moments of wonder—but also the tantrums, for "they too are a big part of his gift to soccer."

It is a strange gift, perhaps, but one delivered with the same commitment as any of his 900-plus career goals. The walkout, whatever its precise details, fits a career-long refusal to accept anything less than center stage.

THE ARMBAND THROWS

The armband’s first brush with Ronaldo’s fury came in November 2010, during a friendly against Spain in Lisbon. Ronaldo twisted through the defense and lifted the ball over Iker Casillas for what should have been one of the great international goals.

Then Nani dived in and headed it over the line from an offside position. The goal was correctly ruled out, and Ronaldo responded with a strange little dance on the spot before hurling his armband into the Lisbon grass.

Portugal won 4–0 anyway. Nani sheepishly told reporters he did not mean it and was very, very sorry—but neither fact was likely to have shortened Ronaldo’s sulk, per www.si.com.

The second armband throw came in March 2021, with far higher stakes. Deep in stoppage time of a World Cup qualifier against Serbia, Ronaldo nipped in to finish past the keeper and thought he had won the match. Defender Stefan Mitrović then cleared the ball out from clearly behind the goal line.

With no VAR to step in, the referee waved play on. Ronaldo, furious, was booked for dissent and threw his armband to the ground—a move that raised eyebrows in his homeland.