Portugal have booked a spot in the quarter finals after overcoming Slovenia in a tense penalty shootout.
However, Roberto Martinez’s side could have avoided the dreaded penalties as Cristiano Ronaldo missed from the spot in the first half of extra time.
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Ronaldo, who had not scored for Portugal at Euro 2024, was awarded a golden chance to break the drought when Diogo Jota was brought down in the area.
But the superstar’s effort was superbly saved by Slovenia’s Jan Oblak to preserve the deadlock.
The miss prompted Ronaldo to burst into tears as his teammates rallied around him and prompted plenty of reaction on social media.
Football presenter Adriano Del Monte wrote: “Feel sick for Ronaldo in this shootout. His international career does not deserve to end like this.”
ESPN writer Mark Ogden posted: “The Ronaldo show is becoming ridiculous now. Great player, one of the absolute best ever, but this is not an U-10 game where the greedy kid gets to take all the free-kicks and miss all the chances.”
Slovenia had a golden chance to score the winner in the second half of extra time when a mistake from Pepe allowed Benjamin Sesko to run through unchallenged towards goal.
However, Sesko’s effort was denied by Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa’s outstretched left foot.
Costa proved to be the hero once more in the penalty shootout, saving all three of Slovenia’s efforts from the spot as Ronaldo atoned for his miss by slotting home Portugal’s first effort in the shootout.
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The Euro 2016 winners dominated the ball and created their first chance after 12 minutes when Silva’s inviting cross just evaded Ronaldo and Fernandes could not turn home at the far post.
Slovenia, playing in their first ever knock-out match at a major competition, maintained their defensive shape well and limited Portugal’s opportunities.
Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo directed a soft header at his old nemesis, Atletico Madrid keeper Oblak, under vital pressure from Vanja Drkusic.
The Slovenian defender was booked moments later for bringing down the surging Rafael Leao as he charged towards Oblak’s goal.
Ronaldo smashed the free-kick narrowly over the bar with the goalkeeper at full stretch.
Slovenia produced their first effort on target just before half-time when RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko fired at Costa from the edge of the box.
Portugal’s holding midfielder Joao Palhinha hit the outside of the post with a low drive, the final kick of the first half, after more good work by the menacing Leao.
Ronaldo forced a solid stop by Oblak with another venomous free-kick early in the second half as the Al-Nassr forward tried in vain to break down Slovenia’s defensive wall, which comfortably held England to a goalless draw in the group stage.
Matjaz Kek’s side had a golden chance to take the lead on a rare burst forward, but Sesko dragged wide after beating the oldest player in the competition’s history, 41-year-old Pepe, for pace.
Still determined to score, Portugal captain Ronaldo thumped yet another free-kick over the crossbar with 20 minutes remaining.
The striker had a chance to settle the game in open play with two minutes to go but, in down the left, could only shoot straight at Oblak.
But it mattered little as Portugal live to fight another day in Germany.
WORLD NO.3’S CRUEL EXIT SEALED AS ALARMING FRANCE TREND REMAINS
Jan Vertonghen’s late own goal took France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Monday as they edged Belgium 1-0 in a tense tie in Dusseldorf.
France had dominated the last-16 clash but their profligate finishing looked set to force extra time until they finally found a way through with five minutes left.
Substitute Randal Kolo Muani collected the ball inside the Belgian penalty area and hit a shot that was going wide until a deflection off the unfortunate Vertonghen took it past goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
The lucky break sent the 2022 World Cup runners-up into a last-eight tie in Hamburg on Friday as they remain on course to become European champions for the third time.
“We are so proud to once again be in the quarter-finals. We are expected to get there but we must appreciate it and not think that is something that is just normal,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.
France are yet to score from open play in four matches at the tournament — captain Kylian Mbappe netted once from a penalty against Poland, while their other two goals have come from opposition defenders.
Crucially, however, they are rock solid in defence, having conceded only one goal, from a penalty, so far.
Their back line was outstanding against Romelu Lukaku and his fellow attackers, and Belgium bow out after what will go down as a disappointing tournament for them.
“It’s a shame,” said captain Kevin De Bruyne.
Own goal sinks Belgium against France | 00:28
“We had a plan. We knew they were strong. It’s a shame to concede a goal in the way we did.”
Both of these sides were looking for revenge, in Belgium’s case for their 1-0 defeat against France in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, a result that still hurts six years on.
France, meanwhile, had a point to prove at the Euros after going out in the last 16 three years ago on penalties to Switzerland, a deeply disappointing result in between runs to consecutive World Cup finals.
The French were widely seen as the favourites to win this tournament before arriving in Germany, but they were below par during the group phase.
The broken nose suffered by Mbappe in their opening game against Austria did not help, and the uncertain form of Antoine Griezmann has been a problem too.
Griezmann was dropped for the last group match against Poland but returned here in one of two changes, with Marcus Thuram also coming in as wingers Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola made way.
Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco responded to his side’s unconvincing group stage displays by giving starts to Yannick Carrasco and Lois Openda, while De Bruyne played a more withdrawn role.
The Belgians were happy to sit deep and did not test Mike Maignan in the first half other than from an awkward De Bruyne free-kick which the France goalkeeper blocked with his knee.
France had lots of the ball, yet often looked untidy, imprecise and rather flat, with Griezmann appearing lost on the right wing.
But they had chances in the first half, with Thuram heading just wide from Jules Kounde’s inviting cross just after the half-hour mark and Aurelien Tchouameni twice firing off target.
Tchouameni then tested Casteels with a deflected long-range strike as France upped their game at the beginning of the second half.
Mbappe accelerated inside and smashed a shot just over, and there was a sense a goal might be coming.
The breakthrough almost came for Belgium an hour in as William Saliba lost possession on halfway and De Bruyne released Carrasco, who was about to pull the trigger when Theo Hernandez arrived to make a brilliant saving block.
Maignan was finally called into action again 20 minutes from time to keep out a drive from Lukaku, and was called into action once more to deny De Bruyne.
It was becoming clear that one goal would decide the contest, and France got it in the 85th minute as N’Golo Kante fed Kolo Muani, and his shot went in off Vertonghen to take Les Bleus through.