Ronaldo the untouchable’s tears turn to joy as Portugal beat Slovenia in last-16 shoot-out

There were tears from Cristiano Ronaldo after a missed penalty, then there was an on-pitch apology to the Portugal fans even before the conclusion of this game – and if his mobility no longer propels him around the pitch, that certainly does not deny him the spotlight.

At 39, at his sixth European Championship, Ronaldo was at the centre of the drama. Taking every free-kick – even those that were not in sensible range. Grabbing the penalty that Portugal won in extra-time and then crying when he missed it. There was more drama after he scored in the shootout with a grand gesture of apology to the Portuguese support and then, eventually the triumph.

It was desperate for Slovenia, whose nerve deserted them in the penalty shootout to the extent their first three were saved by Diogo Costa and they were beaten within six. They had chased and battled, fouled and hustled their way through 120 minutes. When their backs were truly up against the wall, Jan Oblak made a penalty save for the ages from Ronaldo’s penalty-spot thunderbolt. But in the shootout, Oblak could not stop any of the three that went past him.

Portugal play France in Friday’s Hamburg quarter-final, which is certainly how it should be given the quality that runs so deep through these two great squads. Yet it will be hard to ignore the great strutting presence of Ronaldo at centre-forward, winning cap No 211 for Portugal, always in the team and seemingly going on forever. He played on through 120 minutes and more when it was obvious he was a prime candidate to be substituted.

Instead Roberto Martínez substituted just about everyone else – the playmaker Vitinha, the winger Rafael Leao among others. It is a very odd state of affairs. Martínez will know only too well that it should be Ronaldo who is used sparingly but one can only assume that is not the deal. It may be that the Portugal manager’s job comes with Ronaldo in the starting XI as a non-negotiable and obliges the incumbent to work around that. Ronaldo’s pre-eminence in all dead ball situations, taking all penalties, and a general guidance that he should not be substituted.

Later Ronaldo would detail his thoughts to the BBC with suitable grandeur. “Sadness at the start is joy at the end,” he said. “That’s what football is. Moments, inexplicable moments.” This is certainly not a man who feels that maybe it is time to step aside and let younger team-mates take up the challenge. Diogo Jota had to wait a long time for his chance, and the likes of Pedro Neto and Goncalo Ramos never even made it on to the pitch.

“A direct shot [penalty] to give the team the lead – I didn’t manage it,” Ronaldo said. “Oblak made a good save [and] I have to see the penalty. I don’t know if I shot well or badly, but I haven’t missed once all year, and when I needed it most, Oblak saved it.”

It was not just the penalties that Ronaldo missed. There were also three free-kicks of varying promise that were smashed over the bar or into the wall. He had taken more than 60 free-kicks in the European Championship and World Cup and scored just once. This has undoubtedly been one of the world’s great goalscorers but the licence he is given remains a kind of cult that Portuguese football seems unwilling to leave.

His team-mate Costa was outstanding in the shootout. He is a Switzerland-born 24-year-old who came through the academy at Porto. “Everybody makes mistakes,” Costa said of Ronaldo’s penalty that was saved in extra-time. “We all know that Cris [Ronaldo] is the hardest worker. I understand how frustrated he is – he devotes all his time to this. I can tell you it is an honour to play on the same team.”

That summarised the general attitude towards Ronaldo amongst his team-mates. His fellow veteran, Pepe, who at 41 years old is even older, came off before the end as Martínez considered penalties. Pepe had been effective although he almost blew it by letting in Benjamin Sesko in extra-time. Pepe and Portugal were bailed out by goalkeeper Costa for the first time, but not the last time.

Slovenia were close to being the great underdog story, 51 places below the mighty Portugal in the Fifa world rankings. Their manager Matjaz Kek was dismissed from the touchline by the Italian referee Daniele Orsato for his protests in the aftermath of the penalty for Portugal given for a foul on Jota, by Vanja Drkusic. Slovenia survived that but they crumpled in the shootout.

Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and then Benjamin Verbic all failed to beat Costa from the spot. Ronaldo, after a run-up that started and stopped and started, beat Oblak with the first for Portugal in the shootout. Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva scored their penalties and the tie was over at last.

Slovenia had come close. There were complaints later again about the state of the Frankfurt pitch. Portugal had plenty of the ball but they did not have the number of opportunities they might have expected. This was the same Slovenia side that had held England to a 0-0 draw in the final group game and Gareth Southgate will have watched Portugal’s struggles with a degree of relief. These are hard sides to beat, even with the players at Portugal’s disposal.

Portugal vs Slovenia: As it happened . . .

11:09 PM BST

Final: Portugal get there in the end

Enjoyable game, proper backs to the wall stuff from Slovenia. Portugal, surprisingly given the talent they have, lacked quality in the final ball and although they were far the most likely winners in 90 minutes, it wasn’t like they were peppering the goal. I had it as three shots on target.

Ronaldo missing the penalty, well that was really just funny. But they showed their composure in the shootout and I think it’s a fair result all told. Dogged Slovenia display arguably franks the form of England’s struggles against them, I guess. Overall, fun to watch and we can read all about it from Sam’s report above. Cheers for reading and see you for the next one.

10:54 PM BST

Ronaldo was already on tilt

After half an hour. All about him throughout, missed the pen. Obviously showed his mental strength to step up in the shootout. You wonder if they might actually be a better side without him, although unless Roberto Martinez fancies being hounded out of his job we will never know. Undroppable but he cannot press and you do sense that his gravitational field makes others lesser now.

Pepe was brilliant in that game until his legs went and they really should have lost because of it.

Two interesting managerial dilemmas.

10:48 PM BST

Penalties

were a bit of a let-down.

Micah Richards: “that’s football, it is cruel.”

10:45 PM BST

Portugal win 3-0 on penalties

You fancied that Slovenia’s super keeper Oblak might be the difference maker in the shoot out but as it turned out, it was his opposite number. Diogo Costa has saved three spot kicks out of three and Portugal go through to meet France in the semis.

Hard lines for all the Slovenians, especially the defenders and goalie, who were fearless and stalwart throughout out. But the shootout was a bridge too far and the Portugal keeper has saved the day.

10:43 PM BST

Slovenia 0-3 Portugal

Bernardo Silva tucks it away and that’s all she wrote.

10:42 PM BST

Slovenia 0-2 Portugal

Diogo Costa’s saved another one! Vrebic puts it to his right but it is at a friendly height. Saved.

10:41 PM BST

Slovenia 0-2 Portugal

Bruno Fernandes rolls it in the corner. Portugal 2/2 and their opponents 0/2.

10:40 PM BST

Slovenia 0-1 Portugal

Costa’s saved another one! J. Balkovec the man who wants the ground to swallow him.

10:40 PM BST

Slovenia 0-1 Portugal

Ronaldo with a little shuffle in the run up, sticks it in the corner, low

10:39 PM BST

0-0

Slovenia penalty saved! Ilicic the unlucky man.

10:39 PM BST

Slovenia shoot first

Costa with some kidology as he stamps on the spot...

10:37 PM BST

Portugal will start as faves

They have won the toss.

10:36 PM BST

Slovenia’s manager was sent off

Not too sure why to be totally honest but I guess that means that he’s not available to do the pep talk before the pens. Think I’d just show them a picture of Ronaldo greetin and tell them to get stuck in.

10:34 PM BST

Full time: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

It’s all Portugal but there appears to be no way through. Little from Ronaldo since the pen... and that’s it. It’s going to penalties.

10:32 PM BST

His momma is in the suite crying

10:29 PM BST

116 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Pepe makes a blunder and Šeško is through! It’s one on one - this is going to be sensational if he tucks it away. Really good keeping and he cannot finish. Pepe owes Diogo Costa a big glass of vinho verde whatever happens.

Martin Keown: “Pepe was in quicksand: time catching up with you.”

10:25 PM BST

112 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Slovenia waste the freekick, though, and hack it into the wall.

10:24 PM BST

111 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Jota, who won the pen, finds himself back defending and he’s hacked down Verbic.

10:20 PM BST

108 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Portugal have (yet another) freekick and launch it in. Oblak tips it over the bar.

10:17 PM BST

HT in ET: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Ronaldo is crying at the interval. What a weapon. Honestly man. It’s a team game - and the battle still to be won! What an example to set.

Here’s Ben Rumsby: “Ronaldo is in floods of tears at half-time of extra-time. His team-mates are desperately trying to console him and Portugal’s supporters are also trying to rally their man. You wonder whether this might be the end for him at this level if they don’t go on to win.”

10:15 PM BST

104 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! Ronaldo goes hard and to the keeper’s left. Oblak with a magnificent save. Ronaldo penalty saved.

10:13 PM BST

103 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Portugal have a pen. Jota barrels down the middle of the pitch, through a forest of legs and defenders, he hits the deck after running into Drkušić. Penalty given! It’s unlucky but it’s a pen. Can’t see how VAR can help him.

Up steps Ronaldo...

Pat Nevin on the BBC: “It’s one of them where there is contact, but Jota has ran into him. You can give that either way. It’s not a clear and obvious mistake, but it’s very, very harsh.”

10:09 PM BST

Reactions

10:04 PM BST

95 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

That could have been the moment! Poor control from Cancelo lets in Celar, who shoots and it’s deflected. Corner doesn’t come to much.

10:01 PM BST

91 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

More of the same? Or can Slovenia land a blow of their own?

09:54 PM BST

End of normal time: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Well done Slovenia! They were really solid. Superb team defensive performance. Portugal had 13 shots but only three on target and Oblak has never really been stretched.

Here’s Ben Rumsby: “I’m probably going a bit doolally approaching three weeks out in Germany but I have really enjoyed watching Slovenia defend in this game and don’t mind watching a bit more in extra-time. When done this well, it can actually be quite entertaining. In saying that, the best defender on the pitch has been Pepe. An absolute masterclass from the old warhorse. Every time Slovenia set up a promising counter-attack, he was in the right place to snuff it out. Every time.”

09:54 PM BST

90+ mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

90 minutes is all but up. It’s going to be another corner for Portugal. Slovenia clear it - and that’s extra time.

09:51 PM BST

90+ mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Four minutes will be added. Portugal have a corner. Oblak gets up and is fouled.

09:50 PM BST

89 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Talking of Ronaldo, this is a legit chance. Slovenia have essayed a couple of forays forward of late and that has opened up a bit of space. Ronaldo is sent through, he races towards the keeper, but he fails to beat him.

09:45 PM BST

86 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Stojanović coming off for Verbic.

09:43 PM BST

Surprising lack of goals

If Portugal do get through, it is hard to see their quarter-final against France troubling the countries’ iconic Euro 84 semi in the list of great games at these championships (look it up if you haven’t already). There looks to be a distinct lack of goals in both sides, which is quite extraordinary given they feature arguably the two best European forwards of the age.

09:42 PM BST

82 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Can Portugal get this done in regulation? They’re certainly throwing everything at it. But not all the quality you’d expect on the final ball.

09:38 PM BST

78 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Bijol mighty in defence, stopping a Jota run.

A few subs to tell you about.

J. Mlakar off for Gorenc Stankovič.

A. Šporar off for Celar

Rafael Leão, who was probably Portugal’s best attacker in the first half but has faded is coming off for Francisco Conceição. Mind his dad Sergio? Lazio, Inter, Porto obviously.

09:33 PM BST

73 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Not been a massive amount of stoppages so I reckon Slovenia have got about another 20 minutes of this. And then another half an hour cos I cannot see the dynamic changing but it’s been a game effort and impossible not to wish them well.

09:31 PM BST

71 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Guess who has just taken a freekick and wanged it into Row Z?

09:31 PM BST

67 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Diogo Jota is on for the refreshing yet lo-sugar Vitinha.

09:28 PM BST

There’s been a lot of double teapot from CR7

09:23 PM BST

63 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

The attend Portugal are attacking is shrouded in smoke due to a flare. Portugal keep coming.

09:21 PM BST

62 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

A rare break from Slovenia! Šeško galloping away and beating the 41-year-old Pepe in a sprint but the wily old blighter gets an arm across him and just does enough. Weak shot in the end.

09:19 PM BST

Puts England in perspective?

Maybe England aren’t that bad after all? Let’s not get carried away, but the longer this goes on, the more Slovenia are growing in confidence and the more you feel Portugal are going to need to make a change in order to turn their possession into the only statistic that really matters. If Ronaldo wasn’t Ronaldo, he might be a prime candidate to be among those hooked.

09:18 PM BST

59 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Portuguese guys queuing up but Slovenia stand firm as ball after ball comes into their box. Vitinha has a shot charged down.

09:17 PM BST

57 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Joao Cancelo is mullering these down the right, he’s opening the defence up time and again. Can’t quite yet pick out a guy unmarked in the centre cos the plucky Slovenes are throwing everything in the way. But I feel that this is going to pay out sooner rather than later.

09:15 PM BST

55 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Up steps Ronaldo. This one is just outside the D. He goes for power and boy does he crack that one. It crashes into Oblak’s gloves and rebounds. That’s Ronaldo’s fourth shot and second on target.

09:14 PM BST

54 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Joao Cancello fouled on the edge of the box. I think we all know what’s happening next.

09:09 PM BST

49 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Somebody’s kicked Pepe. It would take a heart of stone not to laugh.

09:08 PM BST

48 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Slovenia have a corner but Portugal deal with that ok.

09:07 PM BST

46 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Second verse, same as the first... here come Portugal on the attack, nice bit of skill from João Cancelo and he pulls it back for Bernardo, who slaps it wide.

08:58 PM BST

Ronaldo on fire?

I think we may witness the first genuine case of spontaneous human combustion if Ronaldo mistimes another header, misses another cross, or wastes another free-kick, while Manchester United fans will be shocked to discover Bruno Fernandes has also spent much of the half whinging at the referee or his team-mates. Slovenia have defended really well and have also been dishing out the rough stuff, with Ronaldo and Rafael Leao bearing the brunt.

08:54 PM BST

Ronaldo’s insistence on doing set plays

Great stat from BBC/Lineker: he’s taken 58 direct free kicks at major tournaments, he has scored... ONE!

08:52 PM BST

Half time: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Good battling display from Slovenia. Disciplined. Karničnik and Drkušić have both been booked and Drkušić, especially, has been involved in everything at the back.

Ronaldo has busted a gut to score but it isn’t quite at his best.

08:49 PM BST

44 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Leao looking like Portugal’s boy most likely, more dancing feet, pulls it back to Paulinha who drills it hard, low and... wide.

08:40 PM BST

39 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Now Ronaldo has attempted to score from a freekick that’s practically by the corner flag. He’s so desperate to score. Egomania taking hold a bit here. I mean, that’s not to say he won’t score. But this is all a bit Kim Jong Un.

Karničnik booked.

08:37 PM BST

36 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Vitinha delivers the ball in. Ronaldo leaps and misses his header. He bellows in rage!

08:36 PM BST

35 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Rafa Leao with another good run and poor old Drkušić hsa to step in again.

08:35 PM BST

34 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Rafa Leao with a quick and direct run, Drkušić lunges in and brings him down. Central freekick.

Ronaldo flips it over the wall but cannot get it to dip down. Over the bar.

08:33 PM BST

31 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Ronaldo with his first effort on target, a soft header.

08:32 PM BST

30 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Nuno Mendes with a gorgeous long pass to Bruno Fernandes but his control is off.

08:30 PM BST

29 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Fernandes stretches and slips on this dodgy surface. Jeez, if someone goes Simon Jones then there’ll be hell to pay. And indeed compensation to pay.

08:29 PM BST

28 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Bruno Fernandes shot saved by Jan Oblak but ref had seen a handball by POR.

08:28 PM BST

26 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Martin Keown: “Credit to Slovenia. They know their roles, their jobs and their responsibilities. It’s very respectable. They are never too far apart and it is difficult to get in the pockets. They do the basics well.”

Drkušić gets up well to deny Ronaldo. And they deal okay with the corner, too.

08:27 PM BST

25 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Ref is having a decent game I’d say, quite a lot of players slipping on a dodgy surface and, lets face it, Portugal always give a ref plenty to occupy him.

08:26 PM BST

20 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Ben Rumsby: “Portugal have already looked more of a threat to Slovenia in the opening 15 minutes than England did for more than 90 when the latter two countries played in their final Group C game. Turns out playing the game in your opponents’ half and forcing them into mistakes is pretty effective stuff. Who knew? With only marginally more accurate balls into the box, they would probably be ahead by now.”

08:17 PM BST

15 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Yet another cross from the right, Ronaldo now collapses like a deckchair in the penalty area. Trying all options. Drkušić the man who slightly touched him.

08:16 PM BST

12 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Raking cross into the box once again. Bernardo Silva delivers the ball, Ronaldo leaps and misses, Bruno cannot get there at the back stick either.

Ronaldo looks to the heavens in frustration and says something. Does God believe in Ronaldo?

08:09 PM BST

8 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Ronaldo tumbles over in the area under a heavy, but fair, tackle.

08:07 PM BST

6 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Portugal corner evades everyone and drops nicely for Reuben Diaz, who shoots wide. He looks accusingly at the turf like a batsman nearly bowled by a shooter. I can see his point, a huge divot came out as he steadied himself.

08:05 PM BST

3 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Deep cross looking for Ronaldo by Bruno, Leao arriving late and behind him nearly stabs it in with a soulful bounding leap.

08:04 PM BST

1 mins: Portugal 0 Slovenia 0

Portugal move the ball around at the back. Slovenia low, low block. Portugal taking their time. They’ll have a lot of the ball.

08:01 PM BST

Frankfurt Arena

awaits.

08:00 PM BST

Super rendition

of the the mighty Portugal anthem

07:52 PM BST

Ben Rumsby sets the scene

Even with an hour to go before kick-off you would have been forgiven for thinking the game had already started, such has been the noise inside the Frankfurt Arena. Most of it is coming from the Slovenia end from a fanbase still pinching themselves that their country has made the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time. The one exception was when Portugal – led by you know who – entered the field for the warm-up to the kind of reception you can only imagine greeted The Beatles in their pomp.

Those fans will be hoping their man finally scores his first goal of the tournament, having had the most shots without netting, while Uefa will be hoping just to get through a match without someone trying to get a selfie with European football’s biggest icon.

I am in no way implying that a man who the big screen just showed holding a placard declaring he had come all the way from Canada to see his idol is in any way a likely suspect...

07:51 PM BST

Good bit of analysis

from M Richards about how Portugal manage to put together an effective pressing game despite carrying Ronaldo as a passenger in those terms.

07:36 PM BST

Evening all

Tyers here, thank you Rob, and sure enough - here’s Wor Sir Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker moaning on about England. It feels to me that there is less and less space given to the other ie non England matches this time around? Just constant Southgate-bashing. Surely England are no worse than they usually are, and indeed they have already out performed 2016. 2008 and 2000, for instance.

07:29 PM BST

Over to Alan Tyers for the blog

No doubt, starting with another England post-mortem on the BBC.

07:24 PM BST

Wigging out

07:20 PM BST

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07:17 PM BST

This is the first competitive match between these two

But they played their only friendly earlier this year in Ljubljana, Slovenia winning 2-0 by virtue of second-half goals from Adam Cerin and Timi Elsnik. Eight of those Slovenia victors are in tonight’s XI, five of Portugal’s including, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo. Does the lad never have a day off? (What do you mean every day in the SPL is a day off? How dare you?)

07:08 PM BST

Slovenia line-up

Matjaz Kek named the same line up for all three group games and would have done so again but for Erik Janza’s suspension following a yellow card for wrapping his arms round Bukayo Saka’s waist to stop him bombing down the whitewash during the goalless draw with England

Oblak (Atlético); Karnicnik (Celje;) Drkusic (Sochi), Bijol (Udinese), Balkovec (Alanyaspor); Stojanovic (Sampdoria), Cerin (Panathinaikos), Elsnik (Olimpija Ljubljana), Mlakar (Pisa); Sporar (Panathinaikos), Sesko (RB Leipzig).

07:03 PM BST

Portugal line-up

Roberto Martinez makes eight changes, keeping only Cristiano Ronaldo (natch), Diogo Costa and Joao Palhinha from the reserves’ defeat by Georgia:

Diogo Costa (Porto); Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Ruben Dias (Man City, Pepe (Porto), Nuno Mendes (PSG); Joao Palhinha (Fulham), Vitinha (PSG); Bernardo Silva (Man City), Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd), Rafael Leao (Milan); Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr).

06:52 PM BST

Win, lose or draw?

06:51 PM BST

Preview: Portugal bear burden of expectation

By Ben Green

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Portugal v Slovenia in the round of 16 of Euro 2024. While Portugal cruised to first place in Group F with a game to spare, Slovenia got the business done late with an assured point against England to confirm themselves a third-place qualifier. None of this matters anymore. This is knockout football, and the past does not equal the future. If you lose, you go home. It is as simple as that.

Portugal approach the match in Frankfurt as heavy favourites, but Slovenia must not be written off. Still undefeated, the small nation has conceded just two goals and nine additional shots on target. Dogged, united and difficult to beat, Slovenia play a brand of football well suited to a tournament environment.

Slovenia will be without goal-scoring left-back Erik Janza. Suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the group stage, manager Matjaz Kek is forced to make a change to his starting XI. Jure Balkovec is expected to replace Janza, tasked with the unenviable challenge of dealing with the always tricky and evasive Bernardo Silva.

For Portugal, this is an opportunity to shrug off any questions about their calibre. While admittedly fielding a second-string, the 2-0 defeat they suffered to Georgia cast a shadow over their otherwise promising performances in the group stage. Despite frustration over the loss, the Portugal camp appears determined and resolute, with Roberto Martínez saying, “Now we are more prepared, we’re ready now”.

It is not just a win which is important for Portugal, today. It is a strong and dominant performance which will put criticism to bed and boost confidence ahead of a crunch match quarter-final against either France or Belgium. In what could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final game of international football, a big performance is needed more than ever for the Portuguese.