According to Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo, the squad selected by coach Roberto Martínez has what it takes to win Euro 2024.
“This generation deserves to triumph in a tournament of this magnitude,” Ronaldo stated on June 13. “Semifinals? I believe Portugal can go all the way.”
Ronaldo urged his teammates to take it one step at a time, stay present, remain calm, keep faith, and perform at their best. He acknowledged the short timeframe of the Euro Cup but expressed his confidence that the Portuguese team is ready to seize victory.
On June 18, Portugal will start Euro 2024 with a match against the Czech Republic. They will then face Türkiye on June 22 and Georgia on June 26. The tournament includes 24 teams divided into six groups, in which the two best teams in each group and the four third-placed teams with the best records advance to the 1/8 round.
Ronaldo is about to attend the Euro Cup for the sixth time, something no one has ever done. The 39-year-old striker also holds the record of scoring 130 goals at international level.
Ronaldo claims that he is enjoying football, instead of pursuing the goal of scoring goals, and the records he has achieved are a consequence of this and it is something natural. “This is my sixth European Championship,” Ronaldo added. “I have to enjoy it as much as possible, play well and help the home team win.”
On June 11, Ronaldo scored two goals in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland 3-0. He said that he is ready and well prepared for Euro 2024 and he feels happy because he still has motivation and desire before each game. “When you can’t feel it anymore, it’s best to give up and stop. But I still feel it,” Ronaldo added. “I also see that the whole team is quite calm.”
Ronaldo has continuously attended the Euros with Portugal since 2004, winning once in 2016, when the tournament was held in France. This year, Portugal, England and France are among the top three candidates, ahead of hosts Germany and Spain.
