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Following an exciting campaign in their major tournament debut, thousands of ecstatic Georgian supporters flocked to the country's capital city of Tbilisi on Tuesday to greet the national soccer team back from UEFA Euro 2024. Prior to losing to Spain 4-1 during the round of 16 on Sunday, the Georgian players stunned everyone throughout Europe with a string of exciting performances, which included a shocking 2-0 victory against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
Fan Giorgi Bendeliani showed up at the late-night festivities holding his small daughter in his arms. The players were greeted with clapping and cheers as they drove around Tbilisi in an open-air bus. Later, they appeared on stage with the prime minister and president of the nation in the presence of thousands of people at Freedom Square.
The highest civilian award in Georgia, the Order of Honour, was given to each player by President Salome Zourabichvili, who was present at all four of the nation's matches in Germany. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was jeered by some guests during a speech that assured government backing for the national squad, a reminder of the ugly domestic politics of Georgia that had been temporarily overshadowed by the tournament.
Thousands of fans gave Georgia a hero's welcome upon their return home after reaching the knockout stages of EURO 2024 in their debut major tournament 🤩🇬🇪 #EURO2024pic.twitter.com/KFgBROzUja
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 3, 2024
Georgia set for bigger conquests after great showing in UEFA Euro 2024
The 3.7 million-strong South Caucasus nation of Georgia was thrilled by their short-lived but intense UEFA Euro 2024 campaign. Prior to 1991, Georgian athletes were well-represented on Soviet Union national teams; however, since gaining independence from Moscow in that same year, the nation had failed to qualify for a major competition.
With striker Georges Mikautadze, one among the tournament's top scorers thus far, and midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia leading their triumphant Euros debut, many Georgians now think their tiny nation has cemented itself on the soccer maps for the future. They would now be hoping that they qualify for the upcoming FIFA World Cup held in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.