Cristiano Ronaldo says everyone got reason he cried after missing Euro 2024 penalty wrong

Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about the emotional moment he shed tears after fluffing a vital penalty for Portugal at Euro 2024. The five-time Ballon d’Or-winner revealed all in a candid conversation with former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand.

The veteran striker – who failed to score at the tournament – had his extra-time penalty thwarted by Jan Oblak in Portugal’s last-16 clash against Slovenia. Ronaldo was visibly distraught during a team huddle moments later but composed himself to slot home in the ensuing shootout, where Portugal emerged as 3-0 victors.

Despite being the butt of jokes on social media and accusations of egotism, the Al-Nassr star vehemently denies any claims his miss was the reason behind the tears. And the real inspiration is a lot more heart-warming.

“When you have passion for what you are doing, you can’t be worried about how you’re feeling,” he told Ferdinand on his UR Cristiano Ronaldo YouTube channel. “For example, I cried the day I missed the penalty… when I cried, it’s not because I felt that if I don’t score Portugal will be eliminated, and the world will collapse on me. It’s not because of that.

“People, they don’t know me. Imagine that the last 27 penalties, you score. And in that period, you feel bad for yourself. The people who come to the stadium, your kids, your mum, your girlfriend, everyone. I feel sad because of that.”

Ronaldo opened up about the emotional toll of not meeting his own high standards, saying it’s part of being “true” to himself. “I didn’t even think about [Portugal losing],” he admitted.

“I felt sad because of the pressure I put on myself since I was 11 years old. ‘Cristiano Ronaldo you are the best player in the world’, I’m always thinking that in my mind. And I put a lot of pressure on myself [because of that].

“So when things go wrong, you feel that. But I love that, I know how to deal with that. But when I missed the penalty I felt bad for myself, for the fans, family – not because of other stuff. You have to express yourself. For me, if you hide this stuff, you’re not being yourself.”

Despite scoring in the shootout, Portugal’s Euros journey ended in the quarter-finals at the hands of France, with a 5-3 defeat on penalties. This tournament marked the first time Ronaldo failed to score in a major international competition having endured a subdued performance throughout.