Cristiano Ronaldo's Euro cold spell is an all-time slump

Cristiano Ronaldo's unprecedented goalless run through the group stages of Euro 2024 wouldn't have been as scrutinized if not for all the misses from the Portugal captain. Including his three misses in the Round of 16 win over Slovenia — not including his extra time penalty miss — Ronaldo has missed 20 shots (nine on target) in the four games thus far.

The cold spell is now the fourth-worst among all players since the 1980 Euros, with the Portugal star trailing only Portugal's Deco (24 misses in 2004), Spain's Fernando Hierro (23 misses in 1996), Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne (21 misses in 2016) and Spain's Dani Olmo (21 misses in 2020).

The 39-year-old's slump can't be attributed to age or waning athleticism. There were multiple instances Monday when he blitzed past Slovenian defenders to get separation but couldn't finish. Towards the end of regulation, he found himself deep in the box off a pretty assist from Diogo Jota, only to low drive his shot straight to Jan Oblak. Similarly, Ronaldo had his legs under him with his left-post set piece at the 55-minute mark and a free kick at the 34-minute mark. In both instances, he looked like prime Ronaldo.

As such, the forward's cold spell could be just a case of bad luck. And the emotions he poured out after missing the extra-time penalty kick seemed like a culmination of his frustrations. Luckily for the GOAT candidate, his goalkeeper bailed him out with a performance for the ages.

"Even the strongest people have their [bad] days," Ronaldo said after the game, before tearing up again. "I was at rock bottom when the team needed me the most. Sadness at the start is joy at the end. That's what football is. Moments, inexplicable moments. I feel sad and happy at the same time. But the important thing is to enjoy it."

Ronaldo will again attempt to get on the board when Portugal faces France in Friday's quarterfinal.