On July 6th, in the quarterfinals of the European Championship, Portugal was eliminated by France with a 3-5 aggregate score after a penalty shootout. In this match, Portugal’s goalkeeper Costa failed to replicate his heroics and did not save any spot kicks.
In the round of 16, Portugal drew 0-0 with Slovenia after 120 minutes, leading to a penalty shootout. During that shootout, Costa showcased incredible form, saving three consecutive penalties and emerged as the key figure in Portugal’s advancement to the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinal clash against France, the teams were again deadlocked at 0-0 after 120 minutes, forcing another penalty battle. However, this time, Costa was unable to reproduce his earlier brilliance, as all five French penalties found the back of the net, leaving him without a single save and Portugal unable to recover.
Portugal faced penalty shootouts in both elimination rounds. Against Slovenia, Costa proved an insurmountable barrier, but against France, he was left powerless.