The 2016 European champions get their tournament underway on Tuesday and are expected to start their record scorer.
Portugal’s European Championship journey gets underway on Tuesday when Roberto Martinez’ side take on the Czech Republic in their tournament opener. Martinez has one of the most talented rosters of the tournament at his disposal but their incredible attacking talent will give him some tough selection decisions to make.
Rafael Leao, Diogo Jota, João Félix, Bernardo Silva and Gonçalo Ramos will all be hoping to nail down a starting berth against the Czechs, while 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to lead the line for Portugal.
Ronaldo has been playing in the Saudi Pro League for the past 18 months and is no longer the all-round physical presence that he once was. But after reinventing himself as a central striker he could provide the perfect focal point forward alongside Portugal’s various talented attackers.
Portugal predicted team: Diogo Costa - João Cancelo, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Nuno Mendes - João Neves, João Palhinha, Vitinha - Rafael Leão, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Portugal?
This summer’s tournament will also be an opportunity for Ronaldo to add to his record tally of 130 international goals, more than any other male soccer player in history. CR7 is currently 22 goals clear of Lionel Messi and Ali Daei, both of whom have 108 international goals, and will be eager to add to his tally.
Even at his advanced age Ronaldo remains a potential game-winner and he has been in incredible goal-scoring form for the national team in recent years. He scored ten goals in nine appearances for Portugal during the qualification for this year’s tournament and will be desperate to lead his team to another triumph.
“Year after year, we’re always trying to improve certain things. There’s always room for improvement,” Ronaldo said ahead of this summer’s tournament. “I think I am a complete player, but there are always things I can perfect. And, with age, there are things we weren’t so good at in the past, and we start losing some abilities, so it’s important to try and adapt.”
“If a player wants to have longevity, they need to have a strong adaptability and the characteristics for that adaptation. That’s what I tried to do. It’s no coincidence that I have been playing for 20 years at the highest level, and maintaining that performance is very hard. Only with a lot of dedication and hard work can we achieve those numbers.”