One last dance? Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s hunt for Euros glory

It looks to be the end of an era for Portugal, as Cristiano Ronaldo could be playing in his final international tournament this summer at Euro 2024.

Ronaldo cemented his legacy as a true icon of football, but at 39 years old you have to wonder how much longer he can continue to perform at the highest level – with even the brightest of stars having to dwindle out at some point.

Portugal might not command the status of favourites amongst the Euro 2024 betting odds, but Ronaldo would love nothing better than to top off his international career with another medal to add to his cabinet.

Already one of the most decorated players of all time, the forward is already breaking records by playing in his sixth European Championship, the most by any player in the competition’s history.

Ronaldo enjoyed a fantastic 2023-24 campaign for both club and country. Despite his age, the forward still finished second behind Romelu Lukaku as the top scorer throughout Euro 2024 qualifying, and had the Belgian not scored four on the final matchday against Azerbaijan, he could have easily shared that accolade.

Since moving to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, Ronaldo has improved as a leader massively. The frustration we saw in his final months at Manchester United is now replaced by a burning desire to win, and that has been reflected with 44 goals in 45 games.

While he was unable to win the King’s Cup – Saudi’s premium domestic competition – he will be hoping to add more silverware this summer in the form of the Euros. It would be his second success in the competition after the win in 2016, although the side this summer requires him to carry a slightly heavier load this time around.

Roberto Martinez replaced Fernando Santos as Portugal manager after the 2022 World Cup and his first act was to immediately restore Ronaldo to the starting line-up, having lost his place to Gonçalo Ramos in Qatar.

The former Everton manager has already sung Ronaldo’s praises, and with over 200 caps for Portugal, he will be a great role model for the next generation of players.

“As for Cristiano Ronaldo, I think it’s better to talk about statistics, ” he said. “A player who scores 42 goals in 41 games for his club shows continuity, a physical ability to always be fit and quality in front of goal that we really like and need.

“We don’t make choices based on where the players play. We want to create the best team and call the 26 players who make up the best team. We monitor the players’ individual performance and role that they have in the locker room. There are players who have secondary roles in important locker rooms and others who have important roles in less strong locker rooms. Since March 2023 until now, we have a lot of information.”

Ronaldo joins an exciting Portugal attack that could see him challenge for the tournament’s Golden Boot when assessing the bet on Euros offer. With the inexperience of Georgia, Turkey, and the Czech Republic, there is a chance for Ronaldo to wrack up the goals early on and build some momentum for the business end of the competition.

Alongside the likes of Diogo Jota and João Félix, Portugal have an exciting blend of attacking talent that will cause plenty of headaches for defences.

Only time will tell if Ronaldo has what it takes to win the Euros once again with Portugal. It would be another defining moment in the career of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and a fitting way for him to walk away from the Seleção das Quinas.