EUROS 2024: Diogo Costa’s Heroic Penalty Saves Help Portugal Reach the Quarter-Finals

On July 1, 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal secured a crucial 3-0 penalty shootout victory over Slovenia to reach the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Championship.

The match was a tightly contested affair, ending 0-0 after 120 minutes of play. Despite Portugal’s dominant possession and attacking play, they were unable to find the breakthrough against a resolute Slovenian defence.

The dramatic moment came in the dying seconds of extra time when Portugal were awarded a penalty. However, Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Portuguese captain, saw his spot-kick saved by Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak, sending the match to a penalty shootout.

In the shootout, it was Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa who emerged as the hero. The 25-year-old shot-stopper saved all three Slovenian penalties, becoming the first goalkeeper in European Championship history to achieve this feat.

Portugal’s successful penalties from Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Neves sealed the victory and a place in the quarter-finals, where they will face defending champions France on July 5th at 9 PM CET in a highly anticipated clash.

The win was a testament to Portugal’s resilience and the strong leadership of Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be hoping to lead his team to their second European Championship title, having won the trophy in 2016.