Georgian footballers in Tbilisi
Thousands of fans gathered at Tbilisi’s central square to welcome the national team back from Euro 2024 in Germany.
This year, Georgia participated in the European Championship for the first time. The Georgian footballers played four matches and reached the Round of 16. The global press praised their debut, especially their stunning 2-0 victory over Portugal, featuring the renowned Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fans greeted the returning team with great honors. President Salome Zourabichvili awarded each player one of Georgia’s highest civilian honors, the Order of Honor.
Prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze also participated in honoring the team. However, some attendees greeted him with boos and angry shouts. The memory of the massive protests against the ruling party’s “foreign agents” law, as well as the government’s crackdown on these protests and the eventual passage of the controversial law, is still fresh in the minds of Georgians.