In a shocking turn of events, Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after missing a crucial penalty in Portugal’s Euro 2024 last-16 tie against Slovenia on Monday evening.
The 39-year-old superstar forward, known for his clinical spot-kick record, saw his effort saved by Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the first half of extra time.
The drama unfolded when Portugal was awarded a penalty for a foul on Diogo Jota, and Ronaldo stepped up to take the kick.
However, Oblak made an impressive save to deny Ronaldo, who has previously converted 24 consecutive penalties for Portugal. The save marked the first time Oblak has saved a Ronaldo penalty since September 2021.
The missed penalty seemed to take a toll on Ronaldo, who was seen crying on the touchline during the halftime huddle with his teammates. He was consoled by Portugal teammate Diogo Dalot as he made his way back onto the pitch.
Ronaldo’s former teammate Jose Fonte described the incident, saying, “He’s an emotional guy, obviously, as you can see. He feels the game, that will hurt him for sure.”
The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, where Slovenia’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa made history by saving all three of Portugal’s spot kicks. Costa is now the only goalkeeper in European Championship history to save three penalties in a shootout.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Ronaldo will have to put the miss behind him as Portugal looks to regroup for their next match.
