If Euro 2024 is to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last hurrah—and it surely will be—then he leads his troops to Germany with nothing left to prove.
Indeed, the boy from Madeira has long cemented his place as one of, if not the greatest ever, players to grace the football world.
But, of course, CR7, as the brand has become known worldwide, would simply not have enjoyed the stellar career he has without wanting to win—every single time!
That is why, even at the age of 39—and amazingly, he is set to be only the second oldest player in the Portugal squad at the tournament—he will be determined to bow out on a high, as opposed to a farewell tour of the game he has given so much.
As it stands, the SBOTOP Euro 2024 betting odds make the Portuguese fifth favourites to win the silverware this summer, and that is about right.
Yet even in a tough group, with their talisman past its peak, you can’t rule them out of creating Euro 2024 highlights.
A quarter-final World Cup defeat at the hands of Morocco 16 months ago seemed the end, but it does appear CR7 is not quite finished, and he was still the key figure on their road to Germany.
Not only did Ronaldo’s men win all 10 of their matches in a flawless qualifying campaign, the country’s greatest ever sportsman netted 10 goals along the way to finish second behind Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) in the top scorer charts.
As it stands, Ronaldo is the all-time record goalscorer in international football, with his mark of 128 goals and counting, unlikely to ever be beaten.
So, whether he succeeds in adding one more major trophy to his bulging cabinet or not, the swansong of the greatest international goalscorer of all time should be celebrated.
If anyone is unwise enough to argue against his credentials, they speak for themselves.
He is now well out in front as both Europe’s and the world’s all-time leading scorer, marking his 200th Portugal appearance with an 89th-minute winner in Iceland last June before rubber-stamping his side’s place at Euro 2024 with two goals against Slovakia in October.
Ronaldo actually overtook the great Ferenc Puskás’s European record of 84 national-team goals while starring for Portugal at the 2018 World Cup—remember his brilliant hat-trick against Spain?!
He achieved his century with a free-kick against Sweden in September 2020.
Ronaldo has scored in 82 games, with Portugal going on to win 70 of them. He has hit 10 hat-tricks, including two four-goal salvos. There have been 23 doubles, with the remaining 50 goals coming in single file. Need to go on…
Ok, I will. That is because Cristiano Ronaldo just goes on and on.
This summer will be his 10th major final. He has already captained his country to Euro glory (in 2016) and is among just a handful of players that were present at Euro 2004 who are still playing in 2024.
Lukas Podolski, 38 and playing for Gornik Zabrze in Poland; ex-Manchester City striker Valeri Bojinov, 38 and now based in Bulgaria’s lower leagues; and Igor Akinfee, 37 and still CSKA Moscow captain, are the others.
So why won’t he push the limits a little bit further?
One thing’s for sure: CR will now want to go out with a whimper and will likely captain them as they face Turkey, the Czech Republic, and first-time qualifiers Georgia in Group F.
Unlike in days gone by, Ronaldo can no longer single-handedly inspire his team to victory—very few players can (let alone aged 39), which is why it is a good job he has a starring cast behind him.
From the industry and creativity of Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes in midfield to the lavish attacking talents of Rafael Leao and Joao Felix, this is a gifted Portuguese generation.
Add in a player who has really impressed Fulham over the past 18 months in midfielder Joao Palhinha and the defensive qualities of Ruben Dias, who is bidding for a fourth successive league title with his club Manchester City, and there is quality in so many areas.
Also, keep a lookout for Goncalo Ramos.
He was the striker who replaced the rested Ronaldo in Qatar 2022 and did so well that the captain started on the bench for their following match, the quarter-final exit to Morocco.
An emphatic hat-trick inspired a 6-1 win over Switzerland and, in no small part, helped to earn him a loan move to Paris St. Germain last summer.
A product of the famous Benfica academy, which also launched the careers of some of Ramos’ Portugal teammates, including Felix and Dias, he could be one to watch, possibly alongside Ronaldo.
By the way, it appears 41-year-old centre-back Pepe will be the elder statesman in Roberto Martinez’s squad.
Most of the attention will be elsewhere, though. The CR7 last hurrah starts here!
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