Ronaldo's mother: 'The game is to kick the ball and not hurt the opponent'

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, was hurting on Sunday.

After Ronaldo exited the final of Euro 2016 in tears and on a stretcher, Aveiro tweeted to express her sadness at the scene, writing: "I can't see my son this way. The game is to kick the ball and not hurt the opponent."

Ronaldo suffered an apparent knee injury in the first half when Dimitri Payet caught the Portuguese superstar while following through on a tackle, forcing him to leave one of the biggest matches of his career - if not the biggest - in the 25th minute.

Aveiro and Ronaldo are known for their strong mother-son relationship, as she looks after his financial affairs and is helping to raise his son.