Messi, Neymar and Others Who Cried on the Pitch After Ronaldo Against Slovenia at Euro 2024

• Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears after seeing his penalty that could have won it for Portugal against Slovania saved by Jan Oblak
• He redeemed himself by scoring the first spot kick of the shootout to help his country win and progress to the quarter-finals
• His reaction to missing the penalty has been a talking point on social media by football fans after the BBC aimed a dig at him

Cristiano Ronaldo was the major talking point for football fans on social media after seeing his penalty saved by Jan Oblak, which could have been the winning goal for Portugal against Slovenia.

He was in tears despite the match on July 1 having 15 more minutes to play and also having the possibility of finding a winner or even proceeding to penalties, which is anyone's game.

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It was not the first time the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had cried on the pitch.

After losing the Euro 2004 final on home soil, he was inconsolable and also cried off the pitch after Portugal were dumped out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Sports Brief highlights seven other high-profile players who cried on the pitch.

Players who cried on the pitch

1. John Terry

This story needs no introduction. Football fans mostly have the picture in their heads when they hear Moscow 2008. Terry slipped and missed a decisive penalty, denying Chelsea what could have been their first-ever UEFA Champions League title. The captain was inconsolable afterwards.

2. Son Heung-min

On November 4, 2019, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton played a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park. Son was sent off for a reckless challenge, which left Andre Gomes badly injured. The South Korean was moved to tears after seeing the damage. As noted by Transfermarkt, Gomes was out for four months and missed 19 games.

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3. Neymar

Neymar Junior is an emotional being and has often been seen in tears. One of them was during the 2022 World Cup quarter-final when Croatia eliminated Brazil. He was seen crying and was consoled by Thiago Silva.

4. Mario Balotelli

Napoli beat AC Milan 3-1 on February 8, 2014, but the highlight of the match was Mario Balotelli crying on the bench after he was substituted. BR Football later disclosed that the striker was inconsolable because the Neapolitans had racially abused him.

5. Luis Suarez

Suarez left Barcelona in 2020 after six years following Ronald Koeman's arrival. The Dutchman claimed he doesn't count on the striker. He joined rivals, Atletico Madrid, and helped them win the title with 21 goals and three assists. He sat on the pitch on the final day crying as he Facetimed his family.

6. Mohamed Salah

The Liverpool forward walked out of the 2018 UEFA Champions League final in tears after he was substituted following a shoulder dislocation. It put his 2018 World Cup participation in doubt. Even though he made it, Egypt crashed out in the first round. He returned to help Liverpool win the 2019 UCL.

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7. Lionel Messi

Messi has experienced various emotional moments in his career, but none hurt more than losing two consecutive Copa America finals to Chile in 2015 and 2016. He was inconsolable the second time and stepped away from the national team for a while. He eventually won the Copa in 2021 and followed it with the 2022 World Cup.

John Terry hits out at BBC

Sports Brief also previously reported on Chelsea legend, John Terry, slamming the BBC after the media made a disgraceful attempt to troll Cristiano Ronaldo for his penalty miss.

The British media heavyweights shared a photo of the Portuguese forward with the caption Misstiano Penaldo, using a slanderous name often used by trolling accounts on social media.