Cristiano Ronaldo’s Record Breaking 6th UEFA Euro: What Portugal Can Expect from CR7
With Cristiano Ronaldo steering the ship, former champions Portugal are strong contenders for the UEFA Euro 2024 title.
Renowned for his relentless pursuit of excellence, Ronaldo’s career is marked by record-breaking achievements that follow him globally. At 39, the legendary forward is poised for more international glory as he leads Portugal in the 2024 European Championship.
He is unable and unwilling to stop. According to the well-known confession of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese captain is not a record breaker. The benchmarks are the ones that travel with him. Ronaldo, the world traveler, is a household name and a living legend of the beautiful game.
Portugal’s legendary forward, who is 39 years old, is aiming for even greater success on the global stage. The Real Madrid and Manchester United star, known by his nickname “CR7,” will lead the 2016 champions’ team in the UEFA Euro, a 2024 European Championship.
As Portugal defeated Ireland 3-0 on Tuesday to prepare for the UEFA Euro, Roberto Martinez’s team’s milestone man was on the double. Ronaldo, who had seen Portugal lose to Croatia from the sidelines, used his two goals to completely destroy the Irish onslaught. In just ten minutes, Ronaldo finished his brace, bringing his total of goals for his country to 130. Ronaldo, who made his debut in the 2004 competition, will make an appearance in the European Championship in Germany for the sixth time in history.
During his first campaign at the UEFA Euro 2004, Ronaldo scored two goals. In 2012, the former Real Madrid player scored three goals with ease. CR7 scored three goals as well during Portugal’s championship-winning campaign. The former Juventus striker scored five goals during the UEFA Euro 2020. Ronaldo’s record-breaking run in Germany only needs to continue when he opens his account at the Euro 2024.
The 39-year-old is not Portugal’s oldest player on the team. Ronaldo has one more chance to become the oldest goal scorer at the Euros, though. In addition, Ronaldo hopes to follow in the footsteps of Spanish great Iker Casillas by leading his team to a second European title victory. The only person to win two Euro trophies as captain in 2008 and 2012 is Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid colleague.
The world record for most goals scored for his country of origin is held by Ronaldo. In international competition, Ronaldo and Iran’s Ali Daei have each scored more than 100 goals. The superstar from Al-Nassr has already scored 850 goals in his trophy-filled career.
Ronaldo, the male football player with the most caps for his country, holds the record for most goals scored at the European Championship with 14. In five European Championship tournaments, only Ronaldo has netted goals. Were you aware? On June 12, 2004, Ronaldo scored his debut goal for Portugal. Ronaldo is the favorite to score at the UEFA Euro in 2024. His streak of over 20 years scoring goals for the national team will be extended with a goal in the Euro 2024. Yes, CR7 will once again change history with one more stroke.
After Portugal was eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2022 by Morocco in the quarterfinals, Ronaldo broke down in tears. Ronaldo is the star of another major tournament two years later. At the World Cup, Ronaldo was replaced by Goncalo Ramos, but he has since proven essential to Portugal. Portugal is counting on Ronaldo to perform well at the Euros under Martinez’s guidance, so changing the guard can wait.
Portugal doesn’t make decisions based on player position when Martinez is in charge. The Al Nassr megastar’s goal-scoring prowess has only increased since his lavish move to Saudi Arabia. In the Saudi Pro League, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 35 goals and provided 11 assists.
Portugal qualified for the Euros with a perfect winning record in their group, and this is their seventh consecutive appearance at the tournament. The opponents of Portugal in Group F do not rank among the top 35 in FIFA. Ronaldo’s Portugal are likely to lead Group F, which includes Turkey, Georgia, and the Czech Republic. Portugal frequently emerges from the Euros’ group stage as a formidable opponent. Will Ronaldo and company cry with happiness at UEFA Euro 2024? Time will tell.
Reviving Ronaldo: A Closer Look at His Euro 2024 Ambitions
Even though a World Cup is far more significant than a European Championship trophy, Ronaldo will be able to further cement his waning legacy, especially in international football.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were virtually tied in their rivalry until the 2022 World Cup. Ronaldo was actually in the lead due to Portugal’s 2016 European Championship victory. In 2021, Messi was victorious in the Copa America, the continental equivalent of the European championship. However, the quality and competitiveness of the South and North American titles pale in comparison.
Messi thus need a larger trophy to surpass Ronaldo, and he succeeded in doing so with Argentina’s victory at the World Cup held in Qatar 1.5 years prior. Ronaldo is now aiming for a kind of resurgence at Euro 2024, which gets underway in Germany tonight.
Even if a World Cup title is far more impressive than a Euros trophy, Ronaldo will be able to further elevate his waning reputation, especially in international football. For him, that is the reason why Euro 2024 is so crucial.
For Ronaldo, the past few years have not been wonderful. Portugal performed poorly in the World Cups in 2018 and 2022, losing their quarterfinal and Round of 16 matches, respectively. They were unable to go past their Round of 16 tie at the last Euros as well.
There simply won’t be another international chance of this scale for Ronaldo to resume comparisons and rivalry with Messi at the age of 39 and the 2026 World Cup.
Since the beginning of the year, Ronaldo has been a member of the Saudi club Al Nassr. Although he is making a tremendous deal of money, things have not been perfect. It’s been a contentious tenure thus far. He has had numerous run-ins with the onlookers. He too received a fine. He once said that the Saudi league was superior to the French league, which infuriated supporters everywhere. In addition, his squad placed a whopping 14 points behind Al-Hilal in the most recent season, finishing in a distant second.
Personally speaking, though, he has been spot on. In all competitions, he scored 44 goals, winning the Golden Boot with 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League. But if he doesn’t assist Portugal in winning the Euros, it will all be for nothing. He is aware of this.
Ronaldo and former manager Fernando Santos seemed to be at odds during the 2022 World Cup, as the attacker didn’t get as much playing time as he would have liked. Worse, he entered the knockout matches as a substitute and didn’t start against Switzerland or Morocco.
Also Read: UEFA Euro 2024 Showdown: Groups, Format, Venues, and Schedule – Complete Guide
However, it seems that Roberto Martinez, the manager of Portugal currently, has far more faith in Ronaldo. He stated last month that Ronaldo still had a lot to provide in front of goal and that his team truly needed him when he included the forward in his squad. Ronaldo is therefore prepared to restore his global reputation. However, the question that’s been bothering football fans lately is: does he truly have enough energy left for a tournament like the Euros?
Furthermore, it is questionable if his experience in a lower level, such as the Saudi Pro level, has lessened his acumen for Euro 2024.
However, one thing is clear. He is unable to help Portugal on his own. He’ll require his teammates’ assistance. Since football is a team sport, teammates’ support is always important, but this time around, Ronaldo will require it much more than in the past because he is past his prime.
Portugal is paired with Georgia, Turkey, and the Czech Republic, against whom they will launch their campaign on the evening of June 18. The most-capped male player in the history of international football, Ronaldo, stated earlier this week: “I’m honored to be the first player to compete in six EURO championships. It demonstrates the durability of my profession, which makes me very happy. But that’s only one aspect of Cristiano Ronaldo’s football career.”
The last sentence seems to be an act of vanity on his part, but it’s actually just bluff. Ronaldo is aware that winning it will be necessary for him to have a significant and lasting impact on international football. You can be confident that he won’t miss anything.
