Euro 2024 day 22: Hosts Germany and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal wave goodbye

Hosts Germany’s Euro 2024 campaign is over after they suffered late heartbreak in their quarter-final against Spain.

Spain will meet France after they beat Portugal in a repeat of the Euro 2016 final, while England geared up for their last-eight tie with Switzerland on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at the latest action from Euro 2024.

Home hopes ended as Spain march on

Mikel Merino scored a dramatic header in extra time to send Spain through to the semi-finals after they beat hosts Germany 2-1.

Spain took the lead through early substitute Dani Olmo six minutes into the second half, but Germany fought back and Florian Wirtz kept their hopes alive with an 89th-minute equaliser.

The match looked destined for penalties but, in the 119th minute, substitute Merino headed Spain into the final four and knocked the tournament hosts out.

Penalty pain for Portugal

France set up a semi-final with Spain after beating Portugal 5-3 in a penalty shootout.

After it ended 0-0 after 120 turgid minutes, the tie had to be decided from the spot – Portugal’s second successive shootout of the tournament.

France led 3-2 when Joao Felix stepped up to the spot and smashed his penalty into the post.

Theo Hernandez then hit the winning spot-kick to send Les Bleus through.

No easy rides for England says Southgate

England have flattered to deceive in Germany, but they are through to their fourth straight major tournament quarter-final and have a kind-looking path to the Berlin finale.

While Spain, France, Germany and Portugal featured in the other half of the draw, beating Slovakia and Switzerland would earn Southgate’s side a semi-final against Turkey or the Netherlands.

“I would say that’s a classic example of the sort of entitlement we have as a nation that creates drama and annoys our opponents,” Southgate said.

“We’re playing a really strong football nation who have played exceptionally well-prepared, have enormous pride.

“We’ve never been to a final outside England. But we’re ready for tomorrow. As a team, we definitely have huge respect for our opponents and we know we’ve got to be our very best to be able to win the game.”

Jude gets away with it

Gareth Southgate claimed UEFA’s decision to hand Jude Bellingham a suspended one-match ban for a gesture in the last-16 win over Slovakia was a “common-sense” call.

Bellingham has been cleared to play in Saturday’s quarter-final against Switzerland after an investigation into a gesture seemingly made in the direction of the Slovakia bench as he celebrated his overhead kick goal to take the tie to extra time.

“I thought it was a common-sense decision,” Southgate said of the punishment, which saw Bellingham handed a 30,000 euros (£25,400) fine as well as the suspended ban, which will be triggered by any further offence within one year.

“Clearly when you score a goal of the quality that he did at the moment he did at the age he is, you are going to have an incredible rush of adrenaline. I think there was no intent in the gesture towards anybody other than the communication he has with his family.

“So from our perspective, we thought it was a sensible outcome.”

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