Cristiano Ronaldo's sister claims she knows real reason for Portugal star's tears at Euro 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo's sister has claimed that the soccer star broke down in tears after missing a Euro 2024 penalty against Slovenia because he saw their mother on the stadium's big screen , suffering from a lifetime of pain.

The former Manchester United player redeemed himself by scoring in the shootout, setting up Portugal for a quarter-final match against France on Friday.

However, despite his redemption, the seasoned goalscorer missed several opportunities for Roberto Martinez's team. There were calls for him to be benched before Jan Oblak blocked his 12-yard attempt in the first period of extra time. Images of Ronaldo in tears during a huddle halfway through extra time became one of the defining moments of the evening. Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa emerged as the hero, blocking all three Slovenian attempts in the shootout.

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Ronaldo's sister, Elma Aveiro, defended her brother in an Instagram post, claiming that the real reason for his emotional state was their mother.

“This scene happened when he saw our mother on the giant screen, suffering from a lifetime of pain,” she wrote, alongside an image of Ronaldo's tears. “Do you know what that means? You don’t know… No one will ever know… Not everything is football, fame and money.”

Ronaldo had eight attempts on goal against underdog Slovenia and received heavy criticism for trying to score a couple of free kicks from unlikely angles. Despite his apparent physical struggles, it's unlikely that Martinez will bench the world's most famous soccer player.

In a post-match interview with Portuguese Sport TV, Ronaldo confessed: "Even the strongest people have their [bad] days, I was down and I was sad because the team needed me.

"Initial sadness and joy at the end, that's what football brings, inexplicable moments, from the eighth minute to the 80th, that's what happens. I could have given the national team the advantage, but I didn't manage it, Oblak saved, I didn't miss once during the year, and when I needed it most Oblak saved.

"It's a feeling of sadness and joy at the same time, but the most important thing is progressing, the team deserved it.

"Slovenia spent almost the entire time defending and when it's like that it's very difficult, the team deserves congratulations, especially our goalkeeper who made three good saves."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.