Cristiano Ronaldo affirms that Euro 2024 will definitely be his last participation in a European Championship.

Ronaldo in the Portugal team ‘on merit,’ says Martinez ahead of Euro 2024 opener

Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Portuguese footballer, has confirmed that the ongoing European Championship will be his last. After a hard-fought victory against Slovenia, Portugal has secured a spot in the quarter-finals where they will face France.

Ronaldo, who is 39 years old, has participated in a record-breaking six Euros and famously led his country to victory in 2016 by defeating France in the final. He is also the tournament’s all-time leading goal scorer with 14 goals, although he has yet to add to that tally in this year’s competition in Germany.

Despite a close call in the penalty shootout, Ronaldo’s dream of a fairytale ending remains alive. Speaking to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, he stated, “It is, without doubt, my last European Championship. But I’m not emotional about that. I’m moved by all that football means – by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm for seeing my supporters, my family, the affection people have for me. It’s not about leaving the world of football. What else is there for me to do or win? It’s not going to come down to one point more or one point less. Making people happy is what motivates me the most.”

Ronaldo, who has brought immense joy to his nation, had the opportunity to create another memorable moment when Portugal was awarded a penalty in the first half of extra time. However, his attempt was brilliantly saved by Jan Oblak, adding to his personal frustrations in the tournament. The miss left Ronaldo in tears, describing it as his “rock bottom” moment.

Despite his struggles, Ronaldo remains determined and resilient. He has yet to score a goal in the competition, despite having the most shots on goal among all players. Nevertheless, he managed to regain his composure and successfully converted Portugal’s first penalty in the shootout, contributing to their progression to the next round, thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Reflecting on his penalty miss, Ronaldo said, “You don’t fail if you don’t try. Obviously, it’s frustrating when you don’t score, but it’s forgotten now. The final result is the most important thing. Sometimes it’s hard to score penalties. I’ve lost on penalties twice this year, but today I won. Football has to be fair sometimes, and today it was.”

As the Euro 2024 tournament continues, fans can catch all the action on discovery+, the exclusive streaming platform for the Olympic Games and the only place to watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.