Cristiano Ronaldo, seeking his first goal at Euro 2024, was left in tears after Slovenia’s Jan Oblak denied the Portugal captain from the penalty spot. Despite Ronaldo’s efforts, Atletico Madrid’s goalkeeper saved his extra-time spot-kick, leading to a shootout that Roberto Martinez’s side eventually won. This sets up a quarter-final clash against France, leaving Portugal to rue their missed opportunities in a frustrating evening where Oblak’s heroics denied Ronaldo’s hopes of scoring.
Ronaldo’s emotions overwhelmed him after the disappointment, leading to tears while Portugal manager Martinez gathered the squad for a team talk. In the stands, his mother Maria was visibly distraught, unable to provide comfort or words of encouragement to her superstar son.
Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears after his penalty miss against Slovenia in the Euro 2024 round of 16.
Ronaldo’s search for his first goal at Euro 2024 was thwarted when Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved the Portugal captain’s penalty.
In extra time, Oblak executed a remarkable dive to deflect Ronaldo’s powerful penalty onto the post.
The 39-year-old wept openly while teammates consoled him following his miss, as the former Euro 2016 champions regrouped for the second half of extra time. Ronaldo’s penalty could have positioned Portugal strongly for victory, as they pushed to take the lead in the game’s final minutes. Confidently stepping up to shoot, Ronaldo had previously scored against Oblak at club level.
The legend found redemption when Ronaldo confidently dispatched Portugal’s first penalty in the shootout, after the match had ended goalless following extra time.
Displaying his trademark composure, Ronaldo expertly placed his shot into the corner past a diving Oblak. However, it was Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa who emerged as the true hero, saving every attempt from Slovenia.
The initial penalty incident, which had left Ronaldo in tears, arose when Liverpool winger Diogo Jota was fouled in the box. This gave the former Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus star a chance from 12 yards—a situation many expected him to convert.
Before this match, Ronaldo had missed only 29 of his 192 career penalties, with this being his first failure since being denied in Manchester United’s FA Cup penalty shootout against Middlesbrough in 2022.
Overwhelmed by emotion, the Al-Nassr striker couldn’t hold back tears as the referee signaled for the break following his dramatic miss—a moment that will surely be remembered as iconic.
Ronaldo was comforted by his Portugal teammates, who gathered around him to console him, fully aware that their fate in Euro 2024 rested on the outcome.
Portugal teammates surrounded Ronaldo, offering support as he continued to weep following his missed penalty.
Ronaldo redeemed himself with a successful second attempt against Oblak, helping Portugal secure victory in the penalty shootout.
Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot stepped in to comfort Ronaldo, offering words of solace and assisting the team captain in regaining his composure.
Gary Lineker expressed surprise at seeing the legendary player in such an emotional state, recalling his famous words to England manager Bobby Robson after Paul Gascoigne’s tears in the 1990 World Cup semi-final: “Look at the tears that followed. At this point, somebody needed to have a word with him.”
Micah Richards also weighed in on Ronaldo’s situation, commending Diogo Dalot for his actions in pulling his former Manchester United teammate aside during this critical moment.
“Dalot. There’s Dalot showing his passion for the game. Ronaldo’s absolutely devastated but he’s got an opportunity to make amends,” Richards remarked.
Ronaldo was visibly distraught, shedding tears amid fears that Portugal’s Euro 2024 journey might come to an end.
Ronaldo was later relieved as Portugal triumphed over Slovenia in the penalty shootout, securing their place in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
Fans and critics on social media swiftly reacted to Ronaldo’s missed penalty and emotional reaction. One post on X criticized, “Ronaldo missed the penalty. He has disappointed his country.”
Another user shared, “Ronaldo crying. I can’t handle this,” accompanied by several broken heart emojis.
A third comment took a more mocking tone, jesting, “Ronaldo crying haha, what a cry baby.”
Now, Ronaldo faces the challenge of guiding Portugal to the Euro 2024 semi-finals as they prepare to face France in a rematch of the 2016 final.
