France kept their cool and converted all their kicks in the post-match shootout to edge Portugal 5-3 on penalties after the two sides played out a goalless stalemate in their European Championship quarter-final tie on Friday.
Theo Hernandez stroked home the winning kick for a perfect sequence after Joao Felix’s effort, the third for Portugal, hit the post. France will now play Spain in the semi-finals on Tuesday in Munich.
Defeat for Portugal likely spells the end of the 21-year international career of 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who converted their first kick in the shootout but was also responsible for one of the night’s many glaring misses.
Success for France makes up for penalty shootout heartbreak at the last Euros, when they were eliminated by Switzerland in the last-16, and in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina.
Ousmane Dembele, Youssouf Fofana, Jules Kounde and Bradley Barcola were all netted their spot kicks for victorious France.
A game that was slow in firing up ended with a myriad of missed opportunities at either end, with clear chances for both sides in 90 minutes as well as the half hour of extra time.
France now find themselves in the semis without scoring a goal in open play at the tournament, having benefitted from two own goals and a penalty in their previous four games. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Additional reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Ken Ferris)
