Jan Oblak joins 39-year-old Brazilian as only second goalkeeper to save penalties from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after Euro 2024 heroics
Jan Oblak of Slovenia is the only goalkeeper after Brazil's Diego Alves to save penalties from both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Oblak achieved this feat during Slovenia's Euro 2024 Round-of-16 clash against Portugal on Monday (July 1) at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.
Following a goalless 90 minutes, the match went into extra time, when the Selecao were awarded a penalty after Slovenian defender Vanja Drkusic committed a foul on Portuguese forward Diogo Jota inside the penalty area. Ronaldo took the shot but failed to net it, with Oblak making a stellar save.
However, when the match went into a penalty shootout, the Atlético Madrid goalkeeper couldn't save any of the three shots taken by Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva. Slovenia also failed to net any of their strokes.
The match ended in a 3-0 win on penalties for the Selecao, who qualified for the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Before the miss on Monday, Ronaldo had a perfect record against Jan Oblak, scoring on three other occasions.
Argentine icon Lionel Messi has also been denied by the 31-year-old goalkeeper in the past. The former Barcelona star missed a penalty against Oblak in the Copa del Rey quarter-final in 2015.
The only other shot-stopper who has denied both Ronaldo and Messi in the past is 39-year-old Diego Alves. The former Valencia goalkeeper has denied the Portuguese captain on three occasions and is responsible for saving 10% of his missed penalties in his over two-decade-long career. Alves also blocked Messi's spot-kick in the 2012 Copa del Rey semi-final.
When Cristiano Ronaldo commented on Lionel Messi's international retirement announcement after Copa America 2016
Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football after Argentina's loss against Chile in the final of the Copa America Centenario in 2016. After the match remained goalless in regulation and extra time, Chile won 4-2 on penalties, with the La Albiceleste captain missing his spot-kick.
Among other legends, Cristiano Ronaldo had encouraged the Argentine legend to not hang up his boots. In a statement reported by the Argentine press, the Portuguese superstar said (via Mundo Deportivo):
"Messi has made a tough decision and people must understand it. He is not used to defeats and disappointments, not even to finishing second. Missing a penalty does not make you a bad player. It hurts me to see Messi in tears and I hope he returns to his national team, because he needs it."
Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal will face France in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals at Volksparkstadion, in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday (July 5), while Lionel Messi-led Argentina are pitted against Ecuador in the Copa America 2024 quarter-finals on Thursday (July 4) at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.