Cristiano Ronaldo? Key figure for the team, says Portugal coach ahead of EURO 2024. He’s going to the championship for more big records

On Friday, 14 June, the EURO 2024 kicks off and Cristiano Ronaldo will once again be in attendance. At the age of 39, he will be looking to break more major records. According to Portuguese national team coach Roberto Martínez, he will still be a key player for his team.

EURO 2024 is just around the corner, but Portugal, who will face the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia in Group F, will not enter the championship until 18 June. They will start the tournament programme with a duel against Ivan Hašek’s charges in Leipzig.

Coach Roberto Martínez also has one of the best players in history in his team. Even at 39, Cristiano Ronaldo will be a dangerous opponent for anyone. The Iberian team intends to take advantage of this.

“There are not many players who have achieved what he has achieved. He leads by example in many ways. He has played more than 200 games for the national team, it will be hard to beat that. I am surprised that Cristiano is still defying his age. We are always impressed by his efforts in training. He is driven to win and obsessed with being the best, obsessed with the perfection he wants to achieve,” Martínez said of the legend.

“It’s contagious. It’s a way for young players to see the idol they looked up to. His behaviour is incredible, we have to respect that. It’s great to have players like Pepe and Ronaldo. They set an example, they make us better. Cristiano is unique in the way he sees the whole game,” the Belgian strategist concluded.

Ronaldo goes to Germany to break records

Cristiano Ronaldo is about to win his sixth European Championship. Martínez sees him as a key part of the team, especially because of his quality in the opposition’s sixteen. That is also why it is expected that the Portuguese could break more than one record.

Currently, the winner of five Ballon d’Ors is 39 years old. If he can score goals, he will become the oldest goal scorer in the history of European championships. The top spot is now held by former Austrian midfielder Ivica Vastic, who scored against Poland at EURO 2008 at 38 years and 257 days.

But Ronaldo is not the only player who can beat Vastić. Croatia’s Luka Modric, who will celebrate his 39th birthday in September, can also attack the record.

If Modric or Ronaldo can take their teams to the final, they could break another record. The oldest scorer in the final is Leonardo Bonucci, who was exactly 34 years and 71 days old at the time of the final match at EURO 2021. He was only the second footballer over the age of 30 to reach a European Championship final.

However, neither Croatia nor Portugal are among the biggest favourites. Both teams have a long and difficult road ahead of them.

Source: UEFA