Ronaldo maintained his cool following Portugal’s Euros exit, just a few days after bursting into tears after missing a penalty in his team’s last-16 win over Slovenia. The all-time great, who scored his penalty kick against France, even offered a shoulder to cry on as Pepe, 41, sobbed after a crushing penalty shootout loss.
The quarter-final match in Hamburg ended goalless, and France advanced to the semi-finals by winning the shootout 5-3, with Portugal’s Joao Felix the only player to miss from the spot. Portugal’s defeat was especially painful for Ronaldo, who was competing in his sixth and final European Championship, and Pepe, who is now set to retire from international football.
As the TV cameras cut to Ronaldo comforting Pepe, ex-England defender Rio Ferdinand told the BBC: ‘It is a testament to those guys’ professionalism and dedication to their craft.
France qualifies for next round via penalties
‘To get to that stage of a tournament at that age and perform, especially Pepe, is huge respect.’ Former Portugal defender Jose Fonte added: ‘They [Pepe and Ronaldo] probably know it’s the end of the line for the national team. I’m not sure whether it will be.
But where do you go from here? They have done so much for Portugal; sometimes you have to give a chance to the young boys coming up and let them show off their talent. They have done fantastically. ‘I thought Portugal was the better team, and France was too negative, but at the end of the day, you have to score to win. If you let it go to penalties, it’s 50/50; it could go either way. France, which lost to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, will face Spain in the semi-finals after Luis de la Fuente’s side defeated hosts Germany earlier in the day. Ronaldo maintained his cool following Portugal’s Euros exit, just a few days after bursting into tears after missing a penalty in his team’s last-16 win over Slovenia.
