After Portugal's victory over Slovenia in the penalty shootout of the Euro 2020 Round of 16, team captain Cristiano Ronaldo gave an interview to Portuguese Radio and Television.

From tears of sadness to tears of joy, how do you feel after advancing to the quarter-finals?

The initial sadness and final joy are what football brings you. These are inexplicable moments, from an 8 to an 80; that's what happened today. I had a chance to put the national team ahead, but I didn't seize it. Oblak made a great save, and I need to review that penalty because I don't know if I took it well or not. I hadn't missed a single penalty this year until now, and Oblak saved it when I needed it the most. It's a bittersweet feeling. The most important thing is to enjoy the process of the game. The whole team performed excellently; we fought until the end. If you analyze the game carefully, Portugal's advancement was well-deserved because we had more chances, and Slovenia spent almost the entire match defending. We should congratulate the team, especially Diogo Costa, who made three fantastic saves.

Some days things don't go very smoothly. Was today one of those days?

That's football; the losers are also those who dare to try. Obviously, it is frustrating when we can't score, but that's football. I've already forgotten about it because the final result is positive—we won, and that's what matters most. Sometimes it is indeed difficult to score a penalty. In my career, I've scored over 200 penalties, but sometimes you don't know which way to shoot: right, left, or center. This year, I've lost two penalty shootouts already, but today it was my turn to win. I believe football needs to be fair sometimes, and today was fair because I think Portugal deserved to win the match.

Your family was in the stands watching the match. How do you feel now?

I get very emotional when I think about my family because these are unique moments that I can't put into words. They are people I love deeply, and they are fans who are always with us, especially with me. I feel very happy about that.

Does this result push the national team further?

We now face a tough match against France, a team considered favorites along with Germany and Spain. But we will fight; that's football. The team's performance has been good, and this victory has given us energy. We will fight to the end. I will always give my best for this jersey, whether I fail or not. I've been doing this for 20 years, and as you saw, I missed the penalty, but I still want to be the first to score. When you owe it to the team, you must take responsibility. You can't be afraid. I've never been afraid to face problems; sometimes I get it right, sometimes I get it wrong, but giving up is something you will never hear from me.

Are you so emotional because this is your last European Championship?

This is certainly my last European Championship, but I'm not just emotional because of that. I'm emotional because of everything that football brings: my passion for the sport, the fans' passion, my family here, the people's love for me, my teammates. It's not because I'm about to leave football. Why does Cristiano need to do more or win more? It's not just about one more point or one less point. The most important thing on this journey is that I still have the passion to stay here. I've played for the national team for 20 years, and I want to make people happy, to make your family and kids happy. These are the things that motivate me the most.