Switzerland's Granit Xhaka gives a team talk to his Switzerland teammates during their game against France at Euro 2020.
Granit Xhaka, armed with a bottle of Coke, rallies his teammates before their penalty shootout against France in Euro 2020.
Marcio Machado / Contributor
  • Switzerland's Granit Xhaka downed a bottle of Coke just before his side's penalty shootout win.
  • His country came back from 3-1 down to knock World Cup champions France out of Euro 2020 on PKs.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo turned Coke into the meme of the tournament by removing two bottles during a press conference.
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In the most Euro 2020 moment possible, and the best free advertising Coke could have asked for, Switzerland's captain Granit Xhaka was pictured downing a bottle of the drink just before his team's penalty shootout victory against France.

Coke has been the drink name on everyone's lips ever since Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo removed two bottles from the desk in front of him during a press conference, telling people to 'drink water' instead.

Since then Coca-Cola has become the meme of the tournament with other players and coaches chugging bottles at their own press conferences.

In what may well be the peak of Coke's Euro 2020 meme status, Xhaka chose to rehydrate with a full bottle just before his team's penalty shoot out against France, which Switzerland won after France's Kylian Mbappe missed his spot kick.

Switzerland battled back from 3-1 down to send the game to extra time and Xhaka played a crucial role in the turnaround. His long ball passing helped Switzerland create chance after chance until they eventually scored the two goals they needed.

Xhaka himself didn't actually take a penalty, instead providing moral support for his teammates.

Regardless, the Arsenal player was in jubilant mood after the game.

"Sorry to say this word, but it's f***ing amazing, man," he said at a post-match press conference.

"We can make score the 2-0 and finish the game but the penalty we missed breaks us a little bit.

"After 3-1, to come back like this against France, to show big character, this team is f***ing amazing, man."

It is unclear whether Xhaka was poking fun at Ronaldo or whether Coke is his pre-penalty drink of choice, but fans were quick to point out that Xhaka remains in the tournament, while Ronaldo is out.

"Only if Cristiano Ronaldo had drank coke, he would still be in the Euros. Look at Xhaka gulping very chilled coke," one tweeter wrote.

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