Cristiano Ronaldo confirms bidding farewell after Euro 2024
Legendary football star Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed that this year’s Euro 2024 will be his last European Championship appearance. Portugal’s captain made the statement after his team defeated Slovenia in a penalty shoot-out in a goal less Round of 16 match.
While Portugal continued through the list, the tournament was not smooth sailing for Cristiano Ronaldo. This 39-year-old has not netted a single goal in his 4 games so far and was charged up during the Slovenia match. A penalty miss in the extra time seemed to curl him up and he was in tears before the start of the second half.
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Speaking to Portuguese broadcaster RTP after the match, Ronaldo opened up about his emotional state. “Even the strongest people have their bad days. I was at rock bottom when the team needed me most. I was sad at first but now I’m happy. That’s what football is. Moments, inexplicable moments.”
Despite the missed penalty, Ronaldo remains dedicated to his team. “I didn’t make a single mistake this year and when I was needed the most, Oblak saved it,” he said, referring to the Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak who denied his penalty attempt. “At this moment I missed it, but the most important thing is that the team won. I lost twice on penalties this season and won the third time.”
Es imposible ver esto sin emocionarse.
Cristiano Ronaldo nos enseña que después de caer, hay que levantarse y volver al mismo lugar donde nos caímos, perder el miedo. Porque solo así se llega al éxito.
La mentalidad del mejor jugador de la historia🐐pic.twitter.com/EyMh1QX2yz
— CR7STIANISMO🇪🇸🇵🇹 (@Cr7stianismo_) July 2, 2024
“I will always give my best for this shirt, whether I fail or not, but you have to take responsibility. I have never been afraid to face things head on. Sometimes I do things right, sometimes I don’t, but giving up is something you will never hear from me,” Ronaldo added.
While Euro 2024 marks his retirement from the European Championships, Ronaldo assures fans that he’s not hanging up his boots just yet. “It’s not about leaving the world of football,” he said. “What else is there for me to do or win? It’s not going to come down to one point more or one point less.”
This tournament marks Ronaldo’s sixth appearance in the European Championships, a record-breaking feat. He made his debut for Portugal in 2003 and led them to victory in 2016. With 130 goals to his name, he is the men’s all-time leading international scorer.
Portugal now faces a formidable opponent in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals – France. “We will now have a difficult game against France, who are the favourites to win the competition along with Germany and Spain,” he said. Despite the challenge, Cristiano Ronaldo remains optimistic.
