Cristiano Ronaldo's tears turn to triumph as Portugal's goalkeeper turns in an all-time penalty shootout performance, while Belgium's golden generation's heartache continues after losing to France and an England star under investigation.
Here are the five quick hits from Tuesday morning's action at Euro 2024.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo in tears as Euro scoring drought continues
Portugal may be through to the quarterfinal stage of the Euros, but incredibly its talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is still looking for his first goal of the tournament.
Ronaldo has cut a frustrated figure throughout the Euros despite his team's success, having not scored at a major tournament since he netted against Ghana in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 39-year-old once again had an outing littered with great chances, but found a nemesis in Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Oblak and Ronaldo are very familiar with each other from the Portuguese star's time with Real Madrid, where Oblak was the shot-stopper for Real's cross-town rivals, Atletico Madrid.
Having lashed goal after goal past Oblak in his heyday with Madrid, you'd think Ronaldo would've had an easy time finishing, but it proved to be anything but the case.
Ronaldo had one powerful free kick swatted away by Oblak, and then had a late chance to win the match in normal time, but saw his left-footed strike on goal again thwarted.
After the teams were unable to score in the first 90 minutes, Ronaldo seemed destined to end his drought when he stepped up to the penalty spot after Diogo Jota won a penalty for Portugal in the first half of the extra time period.
Ronaldo's penalty wasn't necessarily a bad one, but Oblak's save was better, as he dived full-stretch to his left to keep Slovenia in it. What happened next was remarkable.
Minutes later, when the teams were in their huddles before the second period of extra time, an inconsolable Ronaldo started bawling on the pitch and was surrounded by his teammates.
Diogo Dalot hugged his captain as he wept, giving him a kiss on the cheek before heading back out onto the pitch in what will no doubt be one of the most iconic photos to come out of these Euros.
While Ronaldo wasn't able to net his 131st international goal, he did get some redemption on Oblak in the end, as he stepped up to take Portugal's first penalty of the shootout, putting it past the Slovenian goalkeeper in the left corner.
The Portugal captain immediately raised his hands and apologised to the fans and then looked like a relieved man when Bernardo Silva's penalty sent Portugal into the quarters just minutes later.
"I was sad and now I'm overjoyed. This is what football gives you," Ronaldo said in translated comments in a post-game interview. "You cannot explain it."
2. Portugal keeper's all-time penalty shootout performance
Cristiano Ronaldo may take the headlines from Portugal's penalty shootout win, but the real hero of the match was his teammate Diogo Costa's performance between the sticks.
The Portuguese goalkeeper was deservedly named the player of the match for a simply ridiculous performance during the shootout, where he saved three straight penalties to shut out Slovenia.
Costa became the first keeper to save three penalties at the Euros, with his historic performance saving major blushes from a Portuguese perspective.
The shootout wasn't the only stage of the match where Costa proved heroic as well, with Portugal almost being knocked out of the tournament before it got to the shootout stage.
Portuguese hearts were in mouths late in the extra time period when a tired dribbling effort from 41-year-old defender Pepe caused the ball to go loose near the halfway line, with the ball snapped up by Slovenia's star striker Benjamin Šeško.
The 21-year-old Šeško is widely considered one of the game's best young strikers, having been in demand from the likes of Manchester United, and he looked sure to send Slovenia to the next round.
Šeško was one-on-one with Costa and looked to curl the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal, only to be stopped by the outstretched foot of Costa, as Portugal somehow remained alive.
"This is probably the best game of my life," Costa said in translated comments.
"I focused as hard as I could. I breathed in several times and went with my gut.
"We all know that Cris is the hardest worker. I understand how frustrated he is. For me, it's an honour to play on the same team."
3. Kylian Mbappé's frustrations continue as France scrapes through
Another frustrating match for Kylian Mbappé. Another underwhelming performance by France at the Euros.
Didier Deschamps isn't concerned — his team is into the quarterfinals.
"It's beautiful," the France coach said after Les Bleus relied on the ninth own-goal scored at Euro 2024 to squeeze past Belgium 1-0 in the round of 16 on Tuesday morning.
A heavyweight match between neighbours and teams ranked No.2 (France) and No.3 (Belgium) failed to live up to its billing, and the nature of the only goal proved fitting.
Randal Kolo Muani, on as a second-half substitute, turned in the area and sent in a shot in the 85th minute that deflected off Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen and looped over stranded goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
"I was lucky enough to get my shot on target," he said of his decisive intervention.
"It was blocked but it went in. We're very, very happy and very, very proud."
UEFA thought differently about the destination of Kolo Muani's shot and put it down as an own-goal, the latest in a tournament full of them.
It's the second own-goal earned by France while there has also been a penalty by Mbappé. It means a France player has yet to score from open play.
"Even if today that goal was enough to get us to the quarterfinals, we have the capability to score more," Deschamps said.
France will face Portugal in the quarterfinal this weekend.
4. Another major tournament failure for Belgium's golden generation
Kevin De Bruyne stood, hands on hips, and tried to take it all in.
Belgium has flunked another major international tournament after losing to France 1-0 in the round of 16.
It was an all-too familiar feeling for one of the remaining members of his country's so-called golden generation. Not that De Bruyne appreciates the tag.
"What is the golden generation?" he asked when it was pointed out to him that a collection of Belgium's greatest players including Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku has never managed to reach the final of a major tournament, let alone win a trophy.
"You say that France and England and Spain and Germany is not a golden generation? OK."
If De Bruyne was touchy, it was understandable at the end of a tournament in which Belgium slumped to a shock loss to 45th-ranked Slovakia and was booed by its own fans after drawing with Ukraine 0-0. Those results sent Belgium into the knockout match with back-to-back World Cup finalist France.
It feels like time is running out for De Bruyne, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Friday.
He couldn't help his team to a title when it featured greats such as Hazard, Kompany and Courtois. With those players no longer around, Belgium exited Euro 2024 with a whimper. All-time leading scorer Lukaku failed to get a goal in four matches.
"I tried to do everything I could," De Bruyne said. "This is not what we wanted, but although we were not one of the favourites, we let ourselves down in the match against Slovakia."
De Bruyne says he hasn't considered his international future, but he will turn 35 during the next World Cup in 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States. He missed much of last season through injury.
Belgium's best achievement with the golden generation was to reach the 2018 World Cup semifinals — beaten by eventual champion France — and a climb to the top of the FIFA rankings.
It was eliminated from the group stage at the last World Cup, after which Hazard retired.
5. England's hero Jude Bellingham investigated over goal celebration
England star Jude Bellingham is being investigated by UEFA over a potentially offensive gesture made during the European Championship win against Slovakia.
UEFA said it appointed a disciplinary inspector to look at "a potential violation of the basic rules of decent conduct".
Bellingham seemed to make a gesture with his hand toward his crotch after scoring an acrobatic stoppage-time equaliser on Monday morning as England went on to win 2-1 in extra time.
Bellingham's overhead kick with about 80 seconds left in the game saved England from a humiliating exit in the first knockout round.
If UEFA charges Bellingham, he risks being suspended for the quarterfinal against Switzerland on Sunday morning. However, judging by similar cases in the past, the midfielder is likely to escape with a fine if he is disciplined.
"Information on this matter will be made available in due course," UEFA said in a statement.
Bellingham took to social media late Sunday to deny suggestions he gestured toward the Slovakia bench.
"An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game. Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight," Bellingham wrote on X.
Five years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo — while playing for Juventus — and Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone were each fined 20,000 euros by UEFA for making obscene gestures during their Champions League match-up.
Disgraced former Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales was also involved in a similar incident at the end of the Women's World Cup final last August. He grabbed his crotch as a victory gesture while Queen Letizia of Spain and 16-year-old Princess Sofía were standing nearby.
That offence was overshadowed soon after when Rubiales kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent. Rubiales was barred by FIFA from working in soccer until after the men's 2026 World Cup.
AP/ABC