‘Embarrassing and out of order’ – Cristiano Ronaldo under-fire after tearful Euro breakdown

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has come under fire after he broke down following a missed penalty in the Euro 2024 last-16 match against Slovenia.

Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved three penalties in the shootout against Slovenia, after Ronaldo had missed his spot kick in extra-time to send his side into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 after a night of high drama in Frankfurt.

Slovenia, the lowest ranked side left in the competition, had battled their way through a goalless 90 minutes, and went close themselves through Benjamin Sesko.

Ronaldo – who had seen several free-kicks fly off target – then stepped up with a penalty in the first period of extra-time, but goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a brilliant save at full stretch.

Sesko then spurned a chance to win it for Slovenia when a slip from veteran defender Pepe saw him race clear, only for Costa to pull off a superb block.

Porto keeper Costa then saved all three of Slovenia’s opening spot-kicks, with Ronaldo converting his before Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva slotted in the winning penalty to secure a quarter-final against France in Hamburg on Friday.

Ronaldo’s tears turned to smiles after the penalty shootout, but former Liverpool and Germany midfielder Didi Hamann accused the Portugal great of letting his team down with his emotional outburst.

“All he thinks about is himself,” Hamann told RTÉ Sport. "I think he showed his true colours again.

“Missing the penalty, he starts crying on the pitch, he starts crying at half-time in extra-time. And I'm thinking ‘it's not all about you’.

“There's a squad of 26 players, there's 20 staff, there's 30 or 40,000 fans in there, it's not about you.

“You try to be mutual, but I was cheering Slovenia on because I thought the reaction was embarrassing, I thought it was out of order.

“I've never seen anything like it, because once you show emotions, once you get emotional, it's the end of it.

“So that was the point where the manager had to say you've got to come off because you're not in the right frame of mind to carry on playing.

“He scores the penalty and apologises to the fans, he doesn't need to apologise. He will start the next game but I can't see any other outcome than a France win.”

Ronaldo offered up few excuses for his outburst as he provided this explanation for his breakdown on the pitch.

“Even the strongest people have their days, I was down and I was sad because the team needed me,” said Ronaldo.

“Initial sadness and joy at the end, that’s what football brings, inexplicable moments, from the eighth minute to the 80th, that’s what happens.

“I could have given the national team the advantage, but I didn’t manage it, Oblak saved, I didn’t miss once during the year, and when I needed it most Oblak saved.

“It’s a feeling of sadness and joy at the same time, but the most important thing is progressing, the team deserved it.

"Slovenia spent almost the entire time defending and when it’s like that it’s very difficult, the team deserves congratulations, especially our goalkeeper who made three good saves.”

Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan's exclusive take on the day's news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.