Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his disappointment at letting down Portugal during their Euro 2024 last 16 match against Slovenia.
Portugal barely made it to the quarter-finals after a goalless draw over 120 minutes, eventually winning 3-0 in a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa emerged as the hero, saving all three of Slovenia’s penalties.
Despite the victory, Ronaldo had a pivotal moment in extra time when he missed a penalty that could have secured the win. His shot was saved by Jan Oblak, leading to an emotional reaction from the star forward.
Ronaldo later redeemed himself by converting his penalty in the shootout, helping Portugal advance alongside goals from Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.
In a post-match interview, Ronaldo reflected on the rollercoaster of emotions he experienced during the match in Frankfurt.
“At first I was sad, now I am overjoyed,” he said. “This is football. This is what football gives you.
“You cannot explain this. It goes from eight to 80. We had the chance to go ahead. I failed. Oblak defended it. I need to see it again, I don’t know if I hit it right or not.
“I feel sad but happy as well. It’s important to enjoy progressing. We’re doing a great job, we’re here to the bitter end.
“We had more chances, we deserved this.”
Portugal will face France in the quarter-finals on Friday night. Les Bleus beat Belgium 1-0 in their last 16 tie earlier on Monday, with a late Jan Vertonghen own goal all that separated the two sides.
This will be the third successive European Championship in which Portugal and France have met. The Selecao won the 2016 final, thanks to Eder’s extra-time goal, while they played out a 2-2 draw at the delayed Euro 2020.