Luke Brown·Managing Editor, Global Live
France beat Portugal on penalties
France will play Spain for a place in the 2024 European Championship final after Theo Hernandez struck the winning penalty in a 5-3 shootout win against Portugal.
Joao Felix was the only player to miss from the spot after the Hamburg quarter-final finished goalless after 120 minutes.
Both sides struggled in front of goal in a forgettable match that saw their biggest stars fail to deliver.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo blazed over from close range in extra-time while France skipper Kylian Mbappe looked uncomfortable after suffering another blow to the face and was withdrawn before the decisive shootout.
The secrets of Diogo Costa’s penalty heroics
One thing Portugal have earned at Euro 2024 already, is a new penalty hero.
Diogo Costa’s three saves in that shootout win over Slovenia was a European Championship record.
How did he do it? Did he know which way they were going to go? Patience, explosiveness, going with your gut — it’s all here from Matt Slater and Matt Pyzdrowski.
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Martinez adamant Portugal ‘played very well’ in Slovenia shootout win
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez is known for his positive outlook — and this is how he viewed Portugal going through the round of 16, thanks to a penalty shootout win over Slovenia after a goalless 120 minutes:
💬 “During the 90 minutes we had many chances and played very well. In the key moments we had situations where we didn’t score, but it was an opportunity to show passion. We showed that we can suffer and win.
“We fought and we are at the stage where the European Championship begins, now against France it will be different but this was something to celebrate.
“Ronaldo missed the penalty (in extra time) and then was decisive in starting the shootout. He set the stage and it was a victory for unity, for the dressing room.
“Cris is our captain and he showed that in life and in football, there are difficult moments but we cannot give up. He showed what to do when things don’t go well.”
The cult of Cristiano Ronaldo
If two Portuguese people pass each other when in a street in Leipzig, there is a 99 per cent chance one or both of them will say: “Siuuuu.”
That was the scene ahead of Portugal’s opening game of Euro 2024 against the Czech Republic.
The team entered the tournament as one of the favourites to win the competition…and yet the primary focus of the majority of Portuguese fans is almost always a 39-year-old striker who plays in the 27th best league in the world.
Enjoy an epic piece on a European megastar and global icon, written by the wonderful Tim Spiers and Guillermo Rai, with the link below.
Ronaldo admits European Championship will be his last
Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted Euro 2024 will be his last European Championship.
The Portugal star — a champion in 2016 — is the all-time record scorer in the competition’s history with 14 goals.
He is yet to score in this summer’s tournament but remains in with a chance of a fairytale sign-off and another title after Portugal survived a penalty shootout against Slovenia in the last 16 to advance to the quarter-finals.
Ronaldo told Portuguese newspaper O Jogo after that game:
💬 “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.”
Another shot at a record for Ronaldo
The second oldest player at Euro 2024 (behind Portuguese defender Pepe) is Cristiano Ronaldo, at 39 years 4 months. You’ve probably heard of him.
Well, if Ronaldo scores tonight he would become the oldest goalscorer in Euros history, surpassing Luka Modric’s record set in the group-stage draw with Italy — at 38 years 289 days.
He also continues to extend his record of most European Championship games (tonight would make it 30).
Ronaldo is already the male player to have featured at the most Euro tournaments. This is his sixth.
That said, it’s almost more newsworthy that he hasn’t yet scored a goal and Euro 2024 is the first time in Ronaldo’s career that he ended the group stage of a major tournament without hitting the net.
Get briefed with our daily podcast
Here’s one to subscribe to. The Daily Football Briefing is your morning podcast hit inside 10 minutes every day from The Athletic.
This morning’s episode reflected on the first of the Copa America quarter-finals and how Lionel Messi’s Argentina got on against Ecuador, as well as Erik ten Hag’s contract extension at Manchester United and Newcastle appointing their new sporting director.
And the show will review the latest Euro 2024 news and action as the latter stages of the tournament unfolds.
Enjoy the fun with Iain Macintosh every morning throughout the summer and beyond — and you can subscribe on your chosen podcast player right here.
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Get yourself heard before and during the action
It is a cool, cloudy day in Hamburg. As usual, we'll have all the big updates from Portugal vs France with our reporters in the stadium and contributors watching on from Germany and elsewhere.
AND we want to hear from you too.
It’s really simple to do that. You can also get involved using our Discuss tab at the top of this feed or even easier, you can click here.
We’ll be popping in ourselves and may even ask some questions of you all, as well as picking out the best of your responses to add in here for our collective enjoyment.
So, happy commenting. Liberal and creative use of emojis encouraged.
A good day to you all
Hello and welcome again to the Euro 2024 knockout stages. Specifically, the first day of the quarter-finals, and Portugal vs France in Hamburg.
A reminder that with the knockout stages, we are now in ‘winner takes all’ territory. Lose and you go home, while a draw achieves little beyond giving you an extra 30 minutes of football and then the joy of a penalty shootout to decide the victor — as Portugal reminded us in the last 16.
There is also the small matter of Spain vs Germany in Stuttgart, which kicks off in little more than 30 minutes and we will keep you in the loop with that one either in here, or live with my wonderful colleague Ed Mackey.
But for now, it’s all about the build-up to kick-off in Hamburg.
We’ve got about two and a half hours until the teams are confirmed so don’t go anywhere. We’ve got you covered from here.
One more suspension hurdle
After these quarter-finals, the yellow card tallies are reset. That is to ensure players do not find themselves suspended for the Euro 2024 final because they earn a second booking in a semi-final.
However, the threat of missing the semis through a one-game ban does still exist.
These are the players currently one booking away from a suspension and who would miss the next game if they saw yellow today:
- PORTUGAL: Joao Cancelo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Francisco Conceicao, Joao Palhinha, Pedro Neto, Ruben Neves.
- FRANCE: Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni.
Early team news: France
The man missing for France today is midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who serves a one-match ban after picking up his second booking in the 1-0 win over Belgium in the last 16.
Rabiot has been a key cog for Didier Deschamps’ midfield at this tournament, and it could mean the like for like introduction of Eduardo Camavinga into the XI if Deschamps retains his 4-3-3 shape.
But if it’s a change to 4-2-3-1, that could bring Ousmane Dembele into the fold.
Randal Kolo Muani is pushing Marcus Thuram for a starting berth up front, wh while Kingsley Coman left the France camp for the birth of his child earlier this week and it remains to be seen if he is back in contention.
Early team news: Portugal
The good news is there are no apparent injury concerns for Roberto Martinez heading into their quarter-final with France.
A tough 120 minutes against Slovenia in the last 16 may have taken its toll on some, but this is not really the time for squad rotation to save legs.
The big call is more likely to revolve around captain, talisman and circus ringmaster, Cristiana Ronaldo. It seems unfathomable that Martinez would drop him today — but the conversion has been taking place back in Portugal and for the first time, the argument hangs in the balance.
There are no suspensions and no players returning from suspension, so it will most likely be an unchanged XI.
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Meanwhile in Stuttgart…
We’ve got a fantastic quarter-final waiting for us in Hamburg later but I can’t deny, the first of our last eight ties kicking off a few hours before it is an absolute corker.
Spain have arguably been the most impressive, dominant side so far at Euro 2024. Germany are hosts and have taken a significant step forwards in time for this tournament.
Both have exciting styles of play and exciting players currently taking the continent by storm.
We will keep you up to date in here with how things develop in that game in Stuttgart — but you can also follow it much more closely with my esteemed colleague Ed Mackey, right here.
That one kicks off little more than an hour from now.
The already-eliminated best XI
We are 86 per cent through Euro 2024 and yet our collective memories of this tournament are only just beginning to be formed.
The moments that will linger longest are far more likely to occur at the end of the knockout stage.
That is exciting… But what of the 44 games that went before, and the performances that decorated them?
We at The Athletic think it’s important to acknowledge the players who lit up the early stages of the tournament — so let us take you through our best XI made up of players who excelled, but also missed out on a place in the quarter-finals.
And if you think we’ve missed someone, set it straight by telling us in an email to: livebloguk@theathletic.com
Still, this was no mean feat and brilliantly delivered by our own Jacob Whitehead. Enjoy!
Austria 1-2 Turkey: Missiles fall, records tumble and save of the tournament?
This always promised to be one of the more frenetic nights at Euro 2024 — and Austria vs Turkey did not disappoint.
A dramatic start that saw Turkey take the lead inside a minute. Relentless attacking. A miraculous late save. Plus a feisty atmosphere that occasionally bubbled over into something more sinister.
It all made for a compelling last-16 match.
Ultimately, Turkey did enough to secure a quarter-final against the Netherlands in Berlin tomorrow.
Tim Spiers, Mark Carey and Tom Burrows dissected this one.
Romania 0-3 Netherlands: Stylish Dutch through as Gakpo chases Golden Boot
Netherlands reached the quarter-finals in Munich, despite Romania starting on the front foot.
Ronald Koeman’s side grew into the game and deservedly took the lead after 20 minutes through Cody Gakpo’s third goal of Euro 2024.
Gakpo then assisted Donyell Malen’s second goal, before Malen added a third in injury time to seal a dominant and impressive win.
Jacob Whitehead, James McNicholas, Liam Tharme and Seb Stafford-Bloor analysed the key points.
Portugal beat Slovenia: Costa’s night, Ronaldo’s tears and a tough nut to crack
And then there was Portugal, who scraped through to the quarter-finals on Monday after a goalless 120 minutes against dogged Slovenia.
Benjamin Seska had two big chances that could have won it. Cristiano Ronaldo had one too, seeing his penalty saved just before half-time in extra time. It reduced him to tears in the aftermath.
Then Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved all three penalties he faced in the shootout — with Ronaldo scoring his — to win it 3-0, break Slovenia hearts and carry Portugal into the last eight, where they will face France right here.
Matt Slater, Tim Spiers and Liam Tharme break down a dramatic night in Frankfurt.
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France 1-0 Belgium: France improving? De Bruyne wasted? And what now for Belgium?
France booked their clash with Portugal today with victory over Belgium, making it into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 despite mustering only a penalty and two own goals in four matches.
Substitute Randal Kolo Muani took a shot late on, and a wicked deflection off Jan Vertonghen saw Belgium lose a dour contest in Dusseldorf.
The centre-half’s own goal was the ninth of the finals to date.
Daniel Taylor, Peter Rutzler and Mark Carey broke down the key talking points from Dusseldorf.
Spain 4-1 Georgia: Yamal excellent (again) but exciting Georgia head home
Spain were worried at times by Georgia but in the end, their leading stars proved decisive in a brilliant performance on Sunday.
The Georgians took the lead with their first attack after a flowing move, finishing as the eighth own goal of Euro 2024; this time from Robin Le Normand.
Rodri then produced yet another of his big moments and from there, Spain’s stars took over to cruise into the last eight — setting up a mouthwatering quarter-final clash with Spain today.
Dermot Corrigan, Matt Slater and Liam Tharme were on hand to break down this one.
England 2-1 Slovakia: Bellingham to the rescue but tactical questions remain
England edged past Slovakia to book a quarter-final tie with Switzerland, but only after staring a humiliating defeat in the face.
Anyone hoping for an improved version of England in the knockout stages was left sorely disappointed, especially by Slovakia’s excellently taken opening goal from Ivan Schranz.
In the end, England’s first shot on target — an overhead kick from Jude Bellingham in the 95th minute — took the game to extra time; 52 seconds into which, Harry Kane headed home.
And with that, Gareth Southgate’s team retained their place in the tournament… just.
Jacob Whitehead, Oliver Kay, Mark Carey and Peter Rutzler broke down the key moments from Sunday in Gelsenkirchen.