Diogo Costa Sets Record With Shootout Heroics for Portugal Against Slovenia

• Portugal’s Diogo Costa made an unbelievable one-on-one save at the end of extra time to keep the game level against Slovenia
• The 24-year-old goalkeeper became the first men’s goalie to ever save three pens in a shootout at the European Championships
• Portugal will cross swords against former World Champions, France, on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Euro 2024

Diogo Costa emerged as the hero in Portugal’s narrow penalty shootout victory over Slovenia, securing a quarter-final matchup against France.

Despite 120 minutes of intense play, neither side managed to break the deadlock on Monday evening.

Cristiano Ronaldo saw his extra-time penalty saved by Jan Oblak, while Benjamin Sesko missed a crucial chance for Slovenia by failing to navigate around the goalkeeper.

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The match ultimately went to penalties, where Costa’s brilliance shone through.

The FC Porto goalie saved attempts from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec, and Benjamin Verbic.

Ronaldo redeemed his earlier miss by converting his penalty in the shootout, joined by successful strikes from Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, who sealed the win.

Costa made history by becoming the first goalkeeper to save three penalties in a Euro shootout, with Ronaldo expressing deep gratitude for his teammate’s crucial performance.

Ronaldo moved to tears after missing penalty

Near the end of the first half of extra time, Ronaldo was given a golden opportunity to break his goal-scoring duck when referee Daniele Orsato awarded Portugal a penalty.

However, the usually reliable CR7 saw his effort saved by the Atletico Madrid shot-stopper, who dived correctly to block Ronaldo’s shot, per Givemesport.

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The missed opportunity left Ronaldo visibly distraught, and he appeared to be on the verge of tears following the incident.

Ronaldo’s mom left hearbroken

In a related report, Sports Brief noted that Ronaldo’s missed penalty deeply affected not only him but also his mother, Dolores Aveiro.

Cameras captured Ronaldo’s emotional reaction, underscoring the significant impact of the miss.

Dolores Aveiro, a steadfast supporter throughout her son’s illustrious career, was visibly heartbroken and unable to contain her emotions.