Cristiano Ronaldo after being knocked out in the European Championship quarter-final against France
Image: Keystone
After losing the penalty shoot-out, Ronaldo consoled his long-time companion Pepe
Image: Keystone
For the first time ever, CR7 failed to score at a major tournament
Image: Keystone
Even his converted penalty after 120 goalless minutes did not help Portugal progress
Image: Keystone
The dream of a second European Championship title after 2016 is over
Image: Keystone
Cristiano Ronaldo after being knocked out in the European Championship quarter-final against France
Image: Keystone
After losing the penalty shoot-out, Ronaldo consoled his long-time companion Pepe
Image: Keystone
For the first time ever, CR7 failed to score at a major tournament
Image: Keystone
Even his converted penalty after 120 goalless minutes did not help Portugal progress
Image: Keystone
The dream of a second European Championship title after 2016 is over
Image: Keystone
Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to prevent Portugal's elimination in the European Championship quarter-finals. His decline seemed unstoppable in what was perhaps his last major tournament.
06.07.2024, 09:29
06.07.2024, 10:55
SDA
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- Portugal fail to beat France on penalties in the European Championship quarter-finals.
- For Cristiano Ronaldo, it was the last European Championship match of his career.
- For the first time at a major tournament, Ronaldo does not score from the spot. His penalty shoot-out goals do not count towards the statistics.
An era came to an end late on Friday evening in Hamburg when the French beat co-favorites Portugal on penalties: it was Cristiano Ronaldo's last appearance at the European Championships. After advancing to the round of 16 against Slovenia, the 39-year-old superstar made it clear that this would "without a doubt" be his last European Championship.
At least to the outside world, Ronaldo took his impending departure from the European Championship stage in his stride. The superstar did not burst into tears, as he had done four days earlier when he missed a penalty against Slovenia in extra time. He simply stood still before hugging his long-time companion Pepe and saying a few words of comfort to the other veteran. At 41, the oldest player in European Championship history left his future in the national team open for the time being.
Rarely brilliant moves
Ronaldo wanted to prove to the whole world at the finals in Germany that he can still decide games. But the opposite happened. The five-time world footballer, who started all five of Portugal's matches, failed to score a goal at a major tournament for the first time ever. In doing so, he also missed out on the record for the oldest European Championship goalscorer.
The magic that Ronaldo once exuded is no longer there. His genius has been lost, but not his irrepressible will to take responsibility. As he did against Slovenia, he was the first to score in the penalty shoot-out against the French and converted with aplomb. There was a hint of the old self-confidence, but not much else remained.
The Seleção captain failed to link up with his teammates, nor was he able to impose his presence in the penalty area. The only opportunity he had in the European Championship quarter-final on Friday was set up by Francisco Conceição, but Ronaldo shot the ball miserably over the goal from seven meters. Despite the disappointing "zero number", his impact from days gone by will reverberate for some time to come.
The special 2016 European Championship triumph
Ronaldo's journey to major tournaments began 20 years ago in his home country. CR7 scored his first European Championship goal on his European debut against Greece (1-2). 13 more were to follow for the player with the most European Championship appearances (30) in a total of six European Championship appearances.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's best memory in this competition was probably not on the pitch, but on the touchline. After being substituted after just 25 minutes in the 2016 European Championship final due to injury, Eder scored Portugal's first European Championship title in extra time. The opponent back then was France - the opponent that has now made Ronaldo a premature European Championship retiree.
However, it would come as no surprise if Portugal's star striker were to return to the big stage in 18 months' time at the 2026 World Cup.
