Georgia 2-0 Portugal: Debutants stun Cristiano Ronaldo and Co with their first-ever major tournament win - and confirm Slovakia as England's last-16 opponents

The talk in the Georgian press on Wednesday was all about which of their players would get Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt when the full-time whistle went in Gelsenkirchen.

For Khvicha Kravatskhelia, who spoke pre-match about his lifelong dream of playing against Ronaldo, the intention was clear.

‘Dreams come true,’ he said, as he talked about his desire to get Ronaldo’s shirt.

Yet by the time the whistle went here, a different kind of dream came true as Kvaratskhelia and Georgia pulled off the mother of all shocks to qualify for the last-16.

For the lowest-ranked nation at the Euros, just playing at the Euros was supposed to be enough for contentment. Qualifying is one thing. Beating the former European Champions is another.

With their first ever win at a major tournament, they ensured England will face Slovakia and not the Netherlands here on Sunday.

Georgia put in the performance of their lives, scoring 93 seconds in through Kravatskhelia before Georges Mikautadze’s second-half penalty gave them room to breathe.

Somehow they kept out a Portugal side filled with quality and they had keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to thank.

Regardless of what happens on Saturday against Spain, Willy Sagnol and his side will go down as heroes.

With their position as group winners secured, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez made eight changes but Ronaldo kept his place.

A staggering 68 places - the largest gap in the tournament - separated the two in the world rankings yet within two minutes, Georgia were in dreamland as Antonio Silva carelessly lost the ball by the halfway line. Mikautadze pounced, driving forward before wonderfully teeing up Kvaratskhelia, who finished in style in front of the Georgia end.

Tickets for Georgia’s three group games sold out within an hour of them going on sale and they came in their masses from Tbilisi and Batumi and beyond.

Earlier in the day on the platform at Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof, those Georgian fans had sarcastically responded to chants of ‘Suiii’ from the Portugal fans with a chant of ‘Messi.’

Now they were chanting the name of ‘The Georgian Messi’ as Kvaratskhelia is known.

Inevitably, Portugal dominated possession from then as Ronaldo tested Mamardashvili with a stinging free-kick from 30 yards out as one of 11 first-half attempts but Georgia held firm.

Twelve minutes into the second half. Silva’s misery was compounded as he gave away a penalty for kicking the ankle of Luca Lochoshvili.

Mikautadze converted past Diogo Costa to send the Georgian fans into delirium before Ronaldo was hooked off on what was his 50th major tournament appearance.

A 170 miles or so away in Blankenhain, perhaps even England afforded themselves a little smile, while in Tbilisi, the celebrations went on long into the night.