Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has reiterated that superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has earned his place in the squad for the ongoing 2024 European Championship “on merit.”
Ronaldo was surprisingly dropped from the starting XI by former Portugal manager Fernando Santos during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This led to speculation that the striker would decide to retire from international football.
Since Qatar 2022, the 39-year-old has moved to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, for whom he scored 50 goals in all competitions last season. His form and fitness made him tough to ignore, despite the competition present in the squad.
“Cristiano is in the national team on merit. Nobody gets into the national team by just having a name. Cristiano scored 50 goals in 51 games - consistent with his club in his league - and he scored nine goals in our qualification rounds,” Martinez stated in a press conference.
“He is a goal scorer and for us he is someone who can make that final move. He can stretch defences and open spaces. Over the years he has changed his way of playing slightly, but I can only say that Cristiano is in the national team on merit and the numbers are there to back that up.”
🚨 CRISTIANO RONALDO PLAYS HIS LAST EURO CHAMPIONSHIP TODAY. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/jzmocvnmkB
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) June 17, 2024
Should Ronaldo play against Czech Republic in Portugal’s Group F opener, he will become the first player in history to play in six European Championship tournaments. It is understood that he is in line to start after proving his fitness by playing the full 90 minutes in their final warm-up game against Ireland.
The striker also scored a brace to take his international tally for Portugal to 130 goals in 207 appearances.
The five-time Ballon d’Or award winner is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of football, and he will look to replicate his heroics from 2016 when he led Portugal to their first European title.
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