Don't be surprised if UEFA Euro 2026 isn't Cristiano Ronaldo's last hurrah with Portugal
Portugal might be one of the best sides at Euro 2024, but as been the case for the past two decades, most of the talk around in the lead-up to the tournament has been about the status of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now 39 years old and the most prolific goal scorer in international history, Ronaldo will be playing in his record sixth European championship, having made his first appearance at Euro 2002 as an 18-year-old.
Ronaldo has been mostly out of the public eye for the past 18 months, playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia on a contract rumored to earn him in the high nine figures annually. At his age and having spent more than a year against lesser competition, fans and pundits alike wonder what Ronaldo, still Portugal's captain, can offer the national team back on the world's biggest stage.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be appearing in his sixth European Championship for Portugal.
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Ronaldo might not be as quick as he was in his prime, but he scored 50 goals for Al-Nassr last season and 10 times in Portugal's Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. His nose for goal clearly hasn't faded.
“For us he’s a goalscorer, someone who can make that final move, stretch defenders, open spaces," Portugal manager Roberto Martinez said. "He has changed his way of playing slightly, but he’s in on merit and the numbers are there to back that up.”
In all likelihood, Ronaldo will come off the bench in this tournament. That's not something totally new, considering he didn't start either of Portugal's two knockout round games at the 2022 World Cup — albeit when he was out of form and favor in the final weeks of his second Manchester United tenure.
"Cristiano is prepared to help the team and give everything he can give," Martinez said. "And there is no other player in the world of soccer who can bring what Cristiano can to the dressing room."
Ronaldo helped Portugal win its only European championship back in 2016, a stunning run capped by an extra-time win over host France in the final, a match that Ronaldo was forced out of by injury.
"He represents inspiration, he represents that everything is possible, he represents that you can dream and you can achieve it," Portugal defender Ruben Dias said.
"It's obviously a pleasure to have him with us in this moment of his career. He represents to us that he really wants to win again and he's our captain and obviously we follow him to the end."
Portugal kicks off Euro 2024 against the Czech Republic on Tuesday in Leipzig, but will this even be Ronaldo's final tournament?
Martinez said that Ronaldo, already the first player in history with 200 international appearances, has expressed interest in reaching 250.
And if he just keeps scoring goals, it won't be shocking to see him in Portugal's squad as a 41-year-old for the 2026 World Cup.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Don't be surprised if UEFA Euro 2026 isn't Cristiano Ronaldo's last hurrah with Portugal