Cristiano Ronaldo has explained how he was feeling when shedding tears after missing a crucial penalty for Portugal in a game against Slovenia during Euro 2024 this summer. The former Manchester United forward also gave the reason behind his upset.
With the last 16 encounter poised at 0-0, Portugal were awarded a spot kick with a minute to play before the end of the first half of extra-time. Penalty specialist Ronaldo stepped up, expected to rip the ball into the back of the net and steer his nation toward victory, but instead, his powerful effort was superbly reached and kept out by Slovenian shot-stopper Jan Oblak.
The Al-Nassr forward was subsequently brought to tears, something he was criticised for, creating one of the most iconic scenes from the tournament. Portugal went on to progress to the quarter-finals anyway, with Ronaldo netting in the resulting shootout.
Ronaldo Explains Euro 2024 Tears
The striker was disappointed in himself
A moment that will haunt Ronaldo for the rest of his career, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has revealed what was going through his head when failing to convert the pressure spot-kick. Speaking on his own YouTube channel in an interview with former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand, the 39-year-old said about the incident:
“When you have passion for what you’re doing, you can not be worried about your feelings. For example, I cried the day that I missed the penalty, which I believe Oblak made a fantastic save. When I cried, it’s not because I felt if I don’t score that penalty and if Portugal are eliminated, that the world would collapse on me. It’s not because of that, Rio. These people don’t know me.”
After dismissing the idea his tears came from the consequences his team could face, the world-class forward went on to explain the reasons behind his post-penalty emotions. He said:
“Imagine, the last 27 penalties you score, then you miss one, in that period you feel bad about yourself. The people that come to the stadium – your kids, your mum, your girlfriend, everyone, I felt sad because of that. You think I’m thinking I missed a penalty and Portugal is going to fall on me. They’re going to say we failed because Cristiano missed a penalty? I didn’t even think about that, I swear to God.”
Ronaldo finally added: “I felt, because I put pressure on myself, I believe I’m the best player in the world in my mind, so when things go wrong, you feel that too. I love that pressure, but I feel that. When I missed the penalty I felt bad with myself, the fans, the family, not because of other stuff that people say. You have to express yourself, you cannot hide this kind of stuff.”
Ronaldo’s International Record for Portugal |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Tournament |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
World Cup |
22 |
8 |
2 |
Euros |
30 |
14 |
8 |
UEFA Nations League |
11 |
7 |
2 |
Total in All Competitions |
212 |
130 |
45 |
It Could’ve Been His Last Euros Dance
Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-final
Progressing into the quarter-final, Portugal’s exploits in the tournament did come to an end in that round. In another cagey 0-0, 2018 World Cup winners France defeated the Iberian side 5-3 in another penalty shootout.
Ronaldo converted his effort from 12 yards, with what could’ve been his final touch in a European Championship. Entering the latter stages of his career, as he turns 40 in February, the mercurial forward is unlikely to feature in 2028, when he’s 43. While you can never rule out one of football’s greats, even that would likely be a stretch for the goalscorer, although expect him to touch the pitch in the USA, Canada or Mexico for the World Cup in 2026.