Euro 2024: Diogo Costa rescues Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal by saving three penalties vs Slovenia
Diogo Costa stepped up when it mattered the most, saving three penalties to help Cristiano Ronaldo forget about a difficult night and let Portugal beat Slovenia in the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16.
With it looked like Cristiano Ronaldo would make headlines for missing a crucial penalty for Portugal, it was goalkeeper Diogo Costa who took all the limelight in the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 against Slovenia.
The Porto star came up clutch in the penalty shootout, saving all three penalties Slovenia took to help Portugal seal a place in this year’s European Championship quarterfinals.
The 24-year-old saved the first shot of the series by guessing Josip Ilicic’s intention, but he had more in store. Far from slowing down, Costa proved unbeatable for Slovenia as he also stopped Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbic’s efforts.
Costa had already come up with a big moment late in extra time, making a crucial save on a dangerous one-on-one situation against Benjamin Sesko. In the end, he took home the UEFA Player of the Match award as he proved the difference in a hard-fought clash between Portugal and Slovenia.
Diogo Costa of Portugal saves the third penalty from Benjamin Verbic of Slovenia (not pictured) in the penalty shoot out during the UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16 match between Portugal and Slovenia at Frankfurt Arena on July 01, 2024 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Video: Diogo Costa saves three penalties for Portugal vs Slovenia
With an impressive three saves, Diogo Costa set a record in the UEFA Euro history: he became the first goalkeeper to deny so many shots in a European Championship penalty shootout.
Up next: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal vs Kylian Mbappe’s France
Diogo Costa heroic performance in the round of 16 allowed Portugal to set up a mouth-watering clash against France in the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinals. That means we’ll get to see Cristiano Ronaldo against Kylian Mbappe.
The match will take place on Friday, July 5, at 3:00 PM (ET) in Hamburg. These teams find themselves in the toughest side of the bracket, as the winner will take on Spain or Germany in the semifinals.
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.
