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There’s a saying in the Southeastern Conference: “It just means more.” Well, no one can argue how much it means to Cristiano Ronaldo to don the uniform of his home country of Portugal. 

Portugal entered the Round of 16 as a heavy favorite over Slovenia, which was a bit of a surprise team to make it through after drawing all of its group stage matches. 

That trend continued right into the next round, as Portugal couldn’t break through and score despite completely dominating possession. Regardless, the match entered extra time with both teams stuck at 0 goals. 

It was the type of match that you’d expect one goal to win. And, with just a couple of minutes remaining in the first extra time period, it appeared that Portugal would get that all-important score. 

Referees whistled Slovenia for a foul in their defensive box, which awarded a penalty kick to Portugal. Of course, the choice of the shooter for the PK was obvious: Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Ronaldo is the all-time leading goalscorer in the European Championship, with 16 career goals. However, his opponent was Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak, widely considered one of the best keepers in the world. 

So, does a good offense beat a good defense or vice versa? In this case, the incredible defense of Oblak saved the day for Slovenia. 

The first extra time period ended shortly after the save and Cristiano Ronald could not contain his emotions on the sideline as teammates tried to console the soccer legend. 

Fortunately for Ronaldo, he wasn’t the only player to miss a golden opportunity to send his country into the quarterfinals of the 2024 Euro Championship. 

Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after failing to score a penalty kick during the UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Slovenia.

Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after failing to score a penalty kick during the UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Slovenia.

(Patricia De Melo Moreiea/AFP via Getty Images)

Late in the second extra frame, Slovenian forward Benjamin Sesko had a breakaway after a terrible giveaway by Portugal’s Pepe. But Diogo Costa made his best Jan Oblak impression. 

Ultimately, neither team could score in regulation nor extra time, which sent the match to penalty kicks to decide it. 

That gave Ronaldo a chance to redeem himself. Which he did. 

The real hero for Portugal, though, was goalkeeper Diogo Costa. He stopped all three Slovenian shooters. 

All three of Portugal’s shooters scored, and they survived a scare from a massive underdog. 

Portugal moves on to face France on Friday with the winner set to face either Spain or Germany in the semifinals.