Cristiano Ronaldo's mother launches attack on Dimitri Payet after tackle injures her son during Euro 2016 final

Ronaldo's mother, Dolores, accused the West Ham midfielder of intentionally trying to hurt her son

Cristiano Ronaldo had to be substituted in the Euro 2016 final after suffering a knee injury (Getty)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother has launched an attack on France midfielder Dimitri Payet after his robust tackle forced her son out of the Euro 2016 final after just 25 minutes.

The stage was set for Ronaldo to write the headlines as he finally got the chance to realise his dream of leading Portugal to a major international trophy, only for his night to be curtailed midway through the first half.

Ronaldo twice attempted to continue, but was forced to concede defeat as a knee injury meant he was unable to play on. He left the field in tears, with his head in his hands as he was carried off on a stretcher, although he was soon prominent on the touchline giving out the orders to his teammates.

Portugal went on to win their first major tournament after substitute Eder came off the bench to score an extra-time winner to secure the 1-0 victory to give Ronaldo the moment he had dreamt of for years, with the 31-year-old lifting the trophy high into the air while repeatedly screaming "vamos!" at the top of his voice.

But it didn’t make it any easier to view for Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores, who took to social media to vent her frustration at what she felt was a deliberate attempt to hurt the Portuguese superstar.

“I cannot see my son in this way,” she wrote in Portuguese. “The game is about kicking the ball, not hurting the opponent.

“My son left the field but our team can win. I trust that we will be able to lift the cup.”

Ronaldo was given a standing ovation by French supporters as well as his own fans, while Payet was subsequently booed each time he received the ball as well as when he was substituted by France head coach Didier Deschamps in the second half. After recovering from the pain of the injury, which he admitted caused him large discomfort after his knee began to swell immediately, Ronaldo took a prominent position on the sideline alongside his head coach, Fernando Santos, in what looked to be a glance into the future.

The next Portugal head coach? Who knows.