Cristiano Ronaldo was left heartbroken after missing a crucial penalty during Portugal’s round-of-16 match against Slovenia at Euro 2024.
The penalty, which could have secured Portugal a spot in the quarterfinals, was saved by Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak, leaving the Portuguese captain in tears.
The incident occurred in the first half of extra time after Vanja Drkusic fouled Diogo Jota in the penalty box. With the match tied at 0-0 and a chance to break the deadlock, 39-year-old Ronaldo stepped up to take the spot-kick. However, Oblak managed to tip the ball onto the post, denying Ronaldo the opportunity to score.
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As the players paused for a break at the halfway point of extra time, Ronaldo was visibly distraught. His emotional reaction was evident, as he was seen crying and needed a pep talk from teammate Bruno Fernandes to regain his composure.
Despite the setback, Portugal still advanced to the quarterfinals by winning the resulting penalty shoot-out. Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko had a golden opportunity to clinch the match in the second half of extra time, but Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa made a crucial save to keep the game goalless.
In the shoot-out, Costa saved Slovenia’s first penalty, setting the stage for Ronaldo to redeem himself. Displaying remarkable composure, Ronaldo coolly slotted the ball past Oblak, ensuring Portugal’s progression to the next round, where they will face France.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr banned from registering new players
Earlier, Daily News 24 reported that Al-Nassr, has been banned from adding any new players to their squad this summer.
The Saudi club failed to pay Leicester add-ons from a deal for Musa, who joined the club for £14 million ($18 million) in 2018.
Musa won the league with Al-Nassr but was released in 2020. FIFA has now ruled that the club has failed to pay Leicester £390,000 in performance-related add-ons.
Having been warned in 2021 that they would face a registration ban if they did not pay up, it is now being reported that they have indeed been suspended from adding players to their squad.
