Cristiano Ronaldo will be sidelined for six to eight weeks due to the knee injury he sustained in the Euro 2016 final, meaning he will certainly miss the UEFA Super Cup on August 9 and could also be absent for the opening fixtures of the new La Liga season. While this is far from the scenario Zinedine Zidane hoped for, the Real Madrid manager has no choice but to allow his star forward the time needed to recover.
The injury occurred in the 25th minute of the Euro 2016 final when Ronaldo was caught in a heavy challenge by France’s Dimitri Payet. Forced off in tears, Ronaldo could only watch from the sidelines as Portugal went on to claim a historic victory thanks to Éder’s extra-time winner. The Portuguese Football Federation later confirmed the diagnosis: a grade one sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Initial media reports suggested a month-long absence, but Spain’s AS newspaper has now indicated a six-to-eight-week layoff is more realistic.
The UEFA Super Cup, traditionally the curtain-raiser to the European season, will take place in Trondheim, Norway, with Real Madrid facing Sevilla. Given the short window before the match, Ronaldo is virtually certain to miss the fixture. Even if his recovery were to progress faster than expected, Zidane is unlikely to take any risks. Last season, in the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City, the coach kept Ronaldo out until he was fully fit. With a long season ahead, the same cautious approach will be taken this summer.
Ronaldo has already returned to Portugal to celebrate the European Championship triumph. He will rest for 19 days before joining Real Madrid’s preseason training camp in New York on July 31. In the meantime, the club is also monitoring the recoveries of Danilo and goalkeeper Keylor Navas, both of whom are expected to return soon. Before the Super Cup, Real Madrid will face Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich in a series of high-profile warm-up matches.
For fans tracking player injuries, match schedules, and recovery updates via the Melbet App, Ronaldo’s situation is a reminder of how a single moment can influence the start of an entire season. The Melbet App will provide real-time updates on his rehabilitation, Zidane’s squad rotations, and the team’s performance in preseason, keeping supporters closely connected as Madrid prepares for another campaign on all fronts.