Broadcast blunder at Euro 2024: Cameras miss Turkey's own goal, focus on Ronaldo instead
During Euro 2024's heated match between Turkey and Portugal, an unexpected own goal by Turkish defender Samet Akaydin went unseen by viewers as the broadcast cameras were instead focused on a sideline disagreement involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo.
The mishap occurred when Akaydin unintentionally passed the ball back to his goalkeeper, leading to a slow roll into the net, despite teammate Zeki Celik’s desperate attempts to clear it.
The broadcasting oversight sparked significant frustration among viewers, who took to social media to vent.
Fans criticized the decision to focus on Ronaldo during a crucial moment of play, with comments ranging from disappointment to outrage.
"Maddest of own goals. Too busy focusing on Ronaldo throwing a fit," one viewer lamented on social media.
Another added, "Extremely disappointing that we missed a hilarious own goal because Ronaldo's tantrum was deemed more important."
Although broadcasters do not control the live feed, they did manage to show a full replay of the goal during the halftime break. Yet, this did little to quell the viewer dissatisfaction, as the real-time reaction and the excitement of the moment had been missed.
Aside from the broadcasting hiccup, the game was eventful, with Portugal securing a 3-0 lead by halftime, thanks to an early goal from Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and the disputed own goal.
Ronaldo, despite earlier frustrations, contributed to Portugal's third goal, setting up Bruno Fernandes for an easy tap-in.
This victory followed Portugal’s initial win over Czechia, placing them firmly on the path to the round of 16.
However, the match wasn't without its issues; Portuguese star Rafael Leao received his second yellow card of the tournament, ruling him out of the final group match against Georgia.
As Portugal advances, Turkey faces a pressure-filled final group match against Czechia, needing points to stay in contention.