France secured a spot in the Euro 2024 semifinals with a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Portugal following a goalless draw that persisted through regular time and extra time. Theo Hernández’s decisive penalty sealed the victory in Hamburg, with Portugal’s João Félix hitting the post earlier in the shootout.
The match, anticipated as a showdown between Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé, saw both teams predominantly focused on defensive solidity rather than risk-taking in attack. Mbappé, wearing a protective mask due to a prior injury, was substituted during extra time, while Ronaldo, who scored Portugal’s first penalty, missed a significant chance during normal time after being set up by Francisco Conceição.
In another thrilling quarterfinal, England progressed to their second consecutive Euro semifinal after a nerve-wracking 5-3 penalty shootout win over Switzerland. The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Breel Embolo putting Switzerland ahead in the 75th minute, only for Bukayo Saka to equalize five minutes later with a superb left-footed strike.
Extra time failed to break the deadlock, leading to penalties where England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the crucial spot-kick to secure the win. Jordan Pickford’s save from Manuel Akanji’s penalty proved pivotal in England’s triumph, overcoming past shootout disappointments, including their loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
England will now face the Netherlands in the semifinals, while France prepares to meet Spain in what promises to be a thrilling continuation of Euro 2024 action.
* CNN contributed to this article.
