The sixth European Championship will also be the last for football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The 39-year-old European Championship record participant announced this after Portugal reached the quarter-finals. “It is without a doubt my last European Championship,” he said after the penalty shootout against Slovenia, according to consistent Portuguese media reports.
Ronaldo missed a penalty in extra time after the 0-0 draw in regular time and cried afterwards. He was rarely seen so emotional during a match. Teammates had to console Ronaldo and rebuild him. The captain then stepped up again in the penalty shootout and scored.
Ronaldo assured that the fact that it was his last European Championship did not affect him so emotionally. “It was what football brings with it. The joy I get from playing the game, the joy of seeing my fans, my family and the affection that people show me.”
European Championship in Germany
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Portugal faces France in the European Championship quarter-finals
Having made it into the quarter-finals of the European Championship, Portugal will face fellow favourites France in Hamburg on Friday (9 p.m.). These two teams had previously faced each other in the 2016 European Championship final in France. Ronaldo was injured during the match and had to leave the pitch. From the sidelines, he encouraged his teammates to win the title. “We will now have a difficult game against France, who are one of the favourites for the title,” said Ronaldo about the upcoming quarter-final encounter.
Ronaldo played his first European Championship match at the European Championship in Portugal in 2004. This year’s European Championship in Germany is already his sixth European Championship tournament. His 29 European Championship matches are a record. No one can come close to his total of 14 European Championship goals. If Ronaldo also scores a goal during regular time at his last European Championship tournament, he will be the oldest goalscorer in European Championship history and would replace the Croatian Luka Modrić. In total, Portugal’s record international player played 211 international matches and scored 130 goals.
The sixth European Championship will also be the last for football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The 39-year-old European Championship record participant announced this after Portugal reached the quarter-finals. “It is without a doubt my last European Championship,” he said after the penalty shootout against Slovenia, according to consistent Portuguese media reports.
Ronaldo missed a penalty in extra time after the 0-0 draw in regular time and cried afterwards. He was rarely seen so emotional during a match. Teammates had to console Ronaldo and rebuild him. The captain then stepped up again in the penalty shootout and scored.
