The Euro battle has reached boiling point, with Portugal and France clashing in this matchday. The two teams fought for 120 minutes without scoring, and in the penalty shootout, Felix missed, while Diogo Costa’s magic faded; Portugal lost 3-5. Despite not advancing further, Ronaldo didn’t break down this time but hugged his dejected teammates with a smile, acknowledged the opponents, and calmly bid farewell to the Euros.
Since ancient times, beauties have been like renowned warriors, not allowed to be seen growing old. In his sixth Euro campaign, Ronaldo arrived with pride, but time proved relentless. In the previous match against Slovenia, Ronaldo missed a penalty in extra time, causing the captain to cry on the spot, prompting the entire team to console him.
Fortunately, goalkeeper Diogo Costa delivered, making an incredible triple save to propel Portugal into the quarterfinals. Against the more formidable France, Coach Martinez maintained the same lineup, with the 39-year-old Ronaldo again leading the attack as a lone striker.
However, even the indomitable Ronaldo had to bow to the inevitability of aging. Throughout the match, he had three shots, but only one was on target, without posing a significant threat.
In the 93rd minute, Joao Cancelo made a forceful run down the right flank, crossed back, and accurately found Ronaldo at the doorstep. The captain had a chance to settle the match, but his effort went skyward, landing in the stands.
Seeing this, fans couldn’t help but sigh; Ronaldo has indeed aged, and his body can no longer keep up with his mind. This has become a recurring theme for Ronaldo, who appeared strained and struggled in the high-stakes quarterfinal.
The numbers don’t lie: across the tournament, Ronaldo played five matches, attempting 23 shots without finding the net. His facial expressions conveyed his struggle, frustration, and pain. There’s no doubting Ronaldo’s determination and courage, but age has caught up with him.
In the penalty shootout, Ronaldo stepped up first for Portugal, confidently slotting the ball into the bottom left corner, despite Mike Maignan guessing correctly. However, Diogo Costa’s heroics from the previous round disappeared, and he failed to save any spot-kicks. Felix, stepping up third, hit the post, resulting in Portugal’s 3-5 defeat and elimination from the quarterfinals.
After the final whistle, the cameras immediately focused on Ronaldo, eager to capture his emotions as he bid farewell to the Euros.
Surprisingly, the usually expressive Ronaldo refrained from tears. Instead, he endured his disappointment and frustration, shaking hands with Griezmann, comforting the distraught Pepe, acknowledging Didier Deschamps, and then calmly walking off into the tunnel.
For the 39-year-old Ronaldo, 30 Euro appearances, 14 goals, four assists, and one championship title, being both the all-time appearance, goal, and assist leader, is by no means a failure. Yet, since the 2020 Euros, his best performance in three major tournaments has been reaching the quarterfinals, which is unsatisfactory.
Like Ronaldo, Pepe’s journey was also bittersweet. The 41-year-old “warrior” participated in five Euros and four World Cups, and it seems the time has come for his farewell too.