“I didn’t miss once during the year, when I needed it most Oblak saved,” said Cristiano Ronaldo, referring to his penalty miss in the Portugal-Slovenia tie. The vitriol against the Portugal captain was so intense that BBC used the caption ‘Misstiano Penaldo’ while analyzing Jan Oblak’s save. Anyhow, the RO16 tie would see Ronaldo go from tears to triumph after he beat Oblak from the spot in his second attempt during the decisive shootout. Thanks to CR7’s redemption, fellow soccer veterans are now celebrating his legacy. Former English women’s star Lianne Sanderson is the latest soccer legend to side with the 39-year-old and rip into his haters.

“All you Ronaldo Haters can be the ones crying now. Well done @Cristiano stepping up first after missing isn’t easy. Especially with so many people wanting you to fail. Especially on here,” Lianne Sanderson wrote on X. It is not a surprise to see Sanderson vociferously supporting Cristiano Ronaldo. Earlier, when the Portuguese superstar got entangled in a controversial Manchester United exit, Sanderson had his back. She observed that Ronaldo was spitting facts about Manchester United’s problems.

Coming back to Cristiano Ronaldo’s redemption at death, even after correcting his prior mistake, he chose not to celebrate and bowed to the Portuguese supporters in the stands. Meanwhile, Portugal’s goalie Diogo Costa stood tall with three back-to-back saves that helped Ronaldo and others convert penalties without pressure. At the end of the day, amid all the vitriol, Portugal survived the hellfire. And Ronaldo got ample support from the soccer community, with his teammates and former rivals chiming in with words of comfort.

Besides Sanderson, Mane and Terry rush to Cristiano Ronaldo’s support

When Cristiano Ronaldo was reduced to tears after his first penalty miss, his Al Nassr pal Sadio Mane shared a screenshot of the disheartening moment on his Instagram story and wrote, “You remain a great champion CR7.” Meanwhile, Chelsea legend John Terry blasted BBC for their infamous caption ‘Misstiano Penaldo.’ Terry took to Instagram and wrote, “BBC, this is a disgrace.” 

Ronaldo and Portugal next face France in the quarter-finals of the European tournament. While France remains a favorite to win the trophy, Kylian Mbappe and Co. have thoroughly struggled throughout the tournament to escape into the quarters. Referring to the game against France, CR7 said, “We’re going to war.” He also added that the tough-fought win against Slovenia has boosted the Portuguese team’s morale and equipped them to face France. Portugal’s tie against the Bleus will indeed be a gala, as it is nothing short of a final before the actual UEFA Euro final.