The Seleccao goalkeeper basically saved his skipper’s international career with three brilliant stops in a 3-0 shootout win in Frankfurt
From tears to triumph in the space of about 20 minutes – Cristiano Ronaldo has had quite the career, but he’s never known an evening like this. The Portugal captain looked a broken man after missing a penalty in Monday night’s Euro 2024 last-16 clash with Slovenia, unable to control his emotions as his team-mates tried to rally around him.
In the end, it was Diogo Costa who came to his aid, keeping Portugal in the competition by bettering Benjamin Sesko in a one-on-one with in the closing stages of extra-time, before making three sensational saves in the shootout that followed this most dramatic of 0-0 draws.
Credit to Ronaldo, he had shown impressive strength in composing himself sufficiently to take – and score – his penalty, and he even immediately apologised to the fans for his earlier miss. Seconds later, he was thanking Costa from the bottom of his heart for extending an international career that looked to end in embarrassment, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner having wasted one chance after another during normal time.
Below, GOAL rates all of the Portugal players on show:
Diogo Costa (9/10):
While Slovakia occasionally threatened on the break, the Seleccao shot-stopper actually had very little to do before making a massive save from Sesko in the dying minutes of extra-time. Then stepped up big time in the shootout.
Joao Cancelo (7.5/10):
Wound the clock back a couple of years with a dynamic display on the right-hand side. Indeed, Cancelo was actually far more dangerous than Bernardo Silva, particularly during the second half, when he appeared capable of beating defenders at will. Lucky to get away with a poor touch in a dangerous area, though.
Ruben Dias (7/10):
A pretty comfortable evening for the Manchester City man, who was typically dominant in the air and distributed the ball well, but when called upon, he made a vital block on a Verbic shot.
Pepe (4/10):
Nowhere near as commanding as he looked in the group stage. He passed the ball straight out of play at one point and was blessed that Sesko twice wasted incredible chances after first exposing Pepe’s lack of pace, and then pouncing on a mistake. Taken off far later than he should have been.
Nuno Mendes (7/10):
Linked well with Leao down the left flank and also got back brilliantly to cut out a very dangerous Slovenian cut-back at one point.
Vitinha (7/10):
Strangely sacrificed for Jota. Had been so strong and precise in possession. Slovenia just couldn’t knock him off the ball.
Joao Palhinha (7.5/10):
Did an incredible job in front of the back four. Made seven tackles in the first half alone and won the vast majority of his duels. Also went close with a good header.
Bernardo Silva (6/10):
Put over some terrific crosses from the right wing and created a lot of time, space and openings for Cancelo. But there was no end product, which is often the case with Bernardo in a Seleccao shirt. Still, his penalty won the game for his country.
Bruno Fernandes (5.5/10):
Arguably the biggest victim of Portugal’s set-up. On paper, deployed as a No.10 but usually found in much deeper positions. Eventually moved back into midfield when Vitinha went off. Created more chances than anyone else on the field but also lost possession more than anyone else (40 times!). Made no mistake with his penalty, at least.
Rafael Leao (7/10):
We finally saw the real Leao in Germany, in the first half at least. With his pace and dribbling skills, the AC Milan attacker tormented Slovenia’s defenders to such an extent that two of them ended up in the book. His influence waned in the second half but still entitled to wonder why he was taken off with 15 minutes to go.
Cristiano Ronaldo (3/10):
Looked dangerous in the first half but his efforts on goal became increasingly farcical and counter-productive. He was quite visibly far too fired up and his emotions clouded his judgement. His attempt to score from a free-kick wide on the left wing was as ridiculous as it was wasteful. Should have been saved from himself before a penalty miss that reduced him to tears – but he still showed admirable courage to take the first spot-kick in the shootout.
Subs & Manager Diogo Jota (7.5/10):
Introduced midway through the second half, slotting in alongside Ronaldo up top. He created a great chance for his skipper, too, but it was unsurprisingly squandered, as was the penalty he won with a tremendous surge right at the heart of the Slovenia defence. Deserves to start against France – but probably won’t…
Francisco Conceicao (5/10):
Took over on the left wing from Leao and later moved to the right. Did little on either side, though he was neat and tidy on the ball.
Nelson Semedo (N/A):
Only came on with three minutes to go.
Ruben Neves (N/A):
Part of a late, late double-substitution with Semedo.
Roberto Martinez (3/10):
If you can’t be good, be lucky! Martinez is blessed with a great group of players, but their performances to date have been so disappointing. Slovenia were excellent defensively, but his refusal to take off Ronaldo is just laughable at this stage. A last-16 game was basically allowed to become all about one team’s attempts to get their captain on the scoresheet – and that reflects horribly on Martinez. It’s going to be fascinating to see how he lines his team up against France!
Cristiano Ronaldo and his quest for Euro 2024 glory took an emotional turn during the game against Slovenia at the Frankfurt Arena in Frankfurt.
With the score locked 0-0 against Slovenia in the first half of extra time, Portugal was awarded a penalty. The weight of expectation landed squarely on Ronaldo’s shoulders.
The Portuguese forward, known for his unwavering composure, approached the spot with steely determination but was being continuously disturbed by the Slovenian defenders. The trick worked as Ronaldo’s powerful strike was saved by Slovenia’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak, a familiar foe from their Atletico Madrid days.
Oblak flung himself to his left in a breathtaking display of reflexes, clawing the ball away and denying Portugal the lead. The miss sent shockwaves through the stadium, and Ronaldo’s eyes welled up. He tried to fight back tears, but he could not hide his raw emotions under immense pressure and broke down.
Teammates rushed to his side, offering words of comfort and a reminder of the fight remaining.
The cameras captured every moment of Ronaldo’s emotional reaction, highlighting the deep impact of the miss.
His mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, also appeared emotional and broke down in tears after witnessing her legendary son miss the penalty.
Portugal vs Slovenia was a game of epic personal drama for Ronaldo and ended with his Portugal making it to the next round.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s tears turned into elation as Portugal beat Slovenia on penalties to reach a Euro 2024 quarter-final against France despite the 37-year-old’s missed spot-kick in extra-time.
A sobbing Ronaldo had to be consoled by team-mates after Jan Oblak brilliantly saved his penalty in the 105th minute but, following a gruelling goalless draw, he converted Portugal’s first effort in the shootout as goalkeeper Diogo Costa made saves from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbic to send them through.
Portugal’s superstar captain was consoled by his team-mates, as fans chanted his name in the stands.
But he recovered to score his country’s first penalty in the shootout – where goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved all three kicks he faced – before Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva netted the winning kick.
Ronaldo was involved in the thick of it throughout the night as he searched for his first goal at Euro 2024.
Before his penalty was tipped on to the post, he wasted a golden opportunity in the final minute of normal time, drilling his shot straight at Oblak, having seen countless crosses fly over his head throughout 120 minutes of blockbuster action.
Eventually, Portugal’s persistence paid off as Slovenia crumbled in the shootout and Costa’s heroics ensured Ronaldo’s Euro dream continues.
Portugal had dominated for long periods and should have led in the first half when Joao Palhinha struck the post.
Slovenia, who defended with grit and resilience, had chances of their own and will regret Benjamin Sesko failing to score when through one-on-one with Portugal goalkeeper Costa in the final minutes of extra time.
Portugal now play France in the quarter-finals in Hamburg on Friday, while Slovenia leave the competition in the cruellest of manners.
Cristiano Ronaldo survived a near-miss when a fan jumped out of the stands and landed inches away from him after Portugal’s Euro 2024 clash with Georgia.
The Al-Nassr superstar was almost hit by the overzealous fan who leapt from the stands at the Veltins Arena, narrowly avoiding a collision with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United player.
Footage on social media captured the incident, with Portugal losing the game 2-0.
A whole host of fans have entered the pitch to have selfies with Ronaldo during the tournament, sparking questions over security.
Ronaldo, who was substituted during the match, appeared shocked but thankfully sustained no injuries from the incident. This close call only added to his frustrations of the night, as he failed to score, marking the first time he has not managed to find the back of the net in the group stages of a major international tournament.
Georgia booked a place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 in their debut appearance at a major tournament with a 2-0 win over Portugal on Wednesday in the biggest upset by FIFA rankings in European Championship history.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s early goal and a Georges Mikautadze penalty earned Georgia, ranked 74th in the FIFA rankings, the win over already-qualified Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are ranked sixth in the world, and they were European champions in 2016.
Slovakia’s (48th) win over Belgium (third) earlier this tournament previously held the distinction for the biggest upset.
The win, albeit against a largely second-string Portugal who had already made it into the next round, also represented the greatest result for Georgia since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Coming from a disappointing fourth in their Euro qualifying group, Georgia had to take a circuitous route to Germany, first by winning their group in the less glamorous UEFA Nations League tournament then by defeating Greece in a playoff.
But there was nothing undeserved about the way Coach Willy Sagnol, the former Bayern Munich and France defender, and his side claimed a third-place finish in the tournament’s Group F and set up a last-16 meeting with three-time Euro winners Spain.
When those two sides met last September in the qualifying stage for the tournament in Germany, Spain thrashed Georgia 7-1 in Tbilisi.
Georgia’s win also means that England will face Slovakia in the round of 16 on Sunday afternoon, avoiding a potential heavyweight clash with the Netherlands.
Georgia, the tournament debutants, took the lead in the second minute when Kvaratskhelia, the Napoli winger, raced away after a careless pass by António Silva and powered a low shot past Diogo Costa in Portugal’s goal.
Ronaldo — one of only three starters for Portugal who also played in their 3-0 win over Turkey on Saturday — stretched and strained for every ball as he sought to become the oldest goal scorer at a Euro tournament at the age of 39.
But Georgia defended as if their lives depended upon it and sought to catch Portugal on the break. In the 53rd minute, Silva compounded his earlier error by committing a foul in the box that was given as a penalty after a VAR check.
Mikautadze, who had provided the pass for Kvaratskhelia to open the scoring early on, steered his spot kick past Costa, making him the top scorer at Euro 2024 so far with three goals.
Ronaldo was booked in the first half for arguing and cut a frustrated figure when he was substituted after the break, kicking out at a water bottle. It is the first time in his long career that he failed to score in the group stage of a major international tournament.
Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made late saves to keep Portugal at bay, and at full time the rest of the squad and coaching staff sprinted on to the field to leap and dance in front of their fans.
The celebrations were fully deserved. Georgia came close to snatching a draw with Turkey but lost 3-1 in their opening game and missed a great chance to beat Czechia a few days later in a 1-1 draw, leaving them perilously close to elimination — until Wednesday’s historic night in Gelsenkirchen.
UEFA have indicated that the minor who ran onto the field and took a selfie with Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday will be banned from all subsequent matches at Euro 2024.
The incident occurred during Portugal’s 3-0 win over Turkey at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion. A young boy wearing a red top made his way to the centre circle, pulled out his phone and snapped the photo as a smiling Ronaldo crouched down to get in the frame.
The youngster then sprinted off to evade stewards but he was caught and led out of the stadium. The picture was posted to social media after the game and quickly went viral.
While it has warmed the hearts of many, UEFA have stated that pitch invading will result in a heavy punishment. Usually it would also see the culprit slapped with a criminal complaint, but given the child’s age, it will not be pursued in this specific case.
A total of five fans managed to make it onto the pitch during the second half alone on Saturday. All of them risked punishment to try and get a picture with Ronaldo, who grew increasingly frustrated with each incident.
