The UEFA Euro 2024 journey unfortunately came to an end for Portugal. Despite holding France to a stalemate throughout the 120 minutes, Roberto Martinez and Co.’s luck didn’t hold in the penalty shootout against the 2018 World Champions, losing 3-5. As news of their failure to reach the semi-finals spreads, star player Pepe has sent a special message to his former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo, which ‘means a lot.’

Following the match, Os Navegadores stars were seen consoling each other. Pepe, also the oldest player in the Euro 2024, went towards his former Real Madrid teammate and gave Ronaldo a tight hug while shedding tears. Interestingly, during the post-match interview, when asked if his hug had a significant meaning, Pepe replied, “It means a lot. We have to go through this stage, and it is painful.”

Clearly, the former Porto star is heartbroken about the fact that his nation couldn’t progress further in the European tournament. Notably, unlike last time, Ronaldo held himself together and wasn’t seen having an emotional outburst. Instead, he kept his head up and was seen consoling Pepe with a smile. After all, there is no choice for the veterans but to embrace the defeat. Sadly, this also marked their final Euro appearance, especially Pepe, who played the final match of his career.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo is still in the game and will return to his domestic duties after weeks of rest. A decision is yet to be taken by the 39-year-old on whether he’ll play in the 2026 World Cup. But the biggest question would be whether that decision could be affected by his recent Euro spell.

What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal after UEFA Euro 2024 exit?

Despite being deemed favorites to go all the way through, it wasn’t the run in the European tournament that Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal expected it to be. While the team tried their best to dominate on the pitch, things turned sour for CR7. The Al Nassr star was met with a lot of criticism throughout the campaign, with fans urging Roberto Martinez to bench the veteran instead. Questions were raised over his degrading quality and was even slammed for holding back his beloved nation.

His goalless streak throughout the tournament speaks volumes and suggests that age might be catching up to him. Hence, there’s a possibility that we may hear the most unfortunate news that will strike ardent soccer fans in the worst way possible—this may be the final international tournament that Ronaldo played with Portugal. Regardless, it’s too early to speculate about his future with Os Navegadores. For now, he must cope with the loss.