One of the most viral images of the Euro 2024 tournament taking place in Germany was that of the leading player of the Portuguese national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, who burst into tears during the extra time break of the match against Slovenia.
A few minutes earlier, in the 103rd minute, Slovenian goalkeeper Oblak stopped a dubious penalty and denied Cristiano the goal that he had been looking for throughout the match and that the current player of Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia saw closer than ever to converting from the eleven meters. The Portuguese missed and collapsed into tears, hugged by his teammates.
Television captured the tears of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was consoled by his teammates in the meeting before the match resumed, and those of his mother in the stands, deeply affected by her son’s mistake.
His teammates supported him until the end
The words of encouragement from his teammates did not seem to console him at all. Nor did the encouragement from the fans, who immediately began chanting his name (so that he would put the missed penalty behind him), exactly as they had done throughout the match due to the energy and motivation that the striker had been displaying since the opening whistle.
The goal, after four games, has eluded the former Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid player, who sought it more than ever against Slovenia. He tried in every way, especially from a free kick, but he came up against Oblak, who saved a free kick from him in the 56th minute and a one-on-one in the 90th minute.
Redemption would come for Cristiano Ronaldo
In the penalty shootout to decide the winner of the match and France’s next opponent, Cristiano managed to beat Oblak’s goal with the first penalty and went to the Portuguese stands to apologize for the one he missed at the time. The 11-meter shots finally allowed him to exact a small ‘vendetta’: Portugal beat Slovenia and will be in the quarter-finals where they will now have to face Kylian Mbappe and the French national team.
Cristiano spoke from the depths of his being
Cristiano Ronaldo analyzed the rollercoaster of emotions he experienced during the match against Slovenia. “Initial sadness and joy at the end, that’s what football gives you. These are inexplicable moments. I had the possibility to put the national team ahead and I didn’t manage it. Oblak made a good save. I have to review the penalty, I don’t know if I shot well or badly, I didn’t miss a single time during the year and when I needed it most, Oblak saved it. The most necessary thing is to enjoy qualifying, the team did a remarkable job, we fought until the end and if you analyze the match well, Portugal deserved it because they had more chances. Slovenia defended almost the entire match. We have to congratulate the team, especially the goalkeeper, who made three very good saves,” he told RTP.
“Those who fail are also those who try. Obviously, it is frustrating when we don’t score. But I have forgotten it now because the final result was positive and that is the most important thing. Sometimes it is difficult to score from the penalty spot, but this year I have lost twice on penalties, today I won, football sometimes has to be fair and today it was,” continued the so-called ‘CR7’.
On the quarter-final match against France Mbappe: “Now we are going to have a difficult match against France, who are one of the favorites to win. But we are going to fight, the team is good and I will always give my best with this shirt. I missed the penalty, but I wanted to be the first to score cause you have to take responsibility. I have never been frightened to face the usual things.”
“It is certainly my last Euro Cup. But I am not moved by that, I am moved by everything that football entails. The enthusiasm I have for the game, the excitement of seeing my supporters, and my family, and the affection that people have for me. It is not because I am leaving football, because if I do, what else do I have to do or win more? It is not going to come down to one more point or one less point. Making people happy is what inspires me the most,” he concluded.
