Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after scoring twice in Portugal’s 3-0 friendly win over Ireland ahead of Euro 2024
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted following his brace in Portugal's 3-0 final friendly over the Republic of Ireland at home on Tuesday (June 11) ahead of their Euro 2024 opener. The 39-year-old created history in the process.
It made him the first male player to score in 21 consecutive years, except for his debut year in 2003. Playing only his second game of 2024 - missing the wins over Sweden (5-2) and Finland (4-2) and the loss to Croatia (2-1), the Al-Nassr forward made an impressive return to the line-up against Ireland.
After Joao Felix had given the A Selecao an 18th-minute lead in Aveiro, Ronaldo took over after the break, creating history with his first strike five minutes into the second period. His second - at the hour-mark - sealed an emphatic win for Roberto Martinez's side who returned to winning ways after losing to Croatia three days ago.
Ahead of their Euro 2024 opener in Leipzig against the Czech Republic, Cristiano Ronaldo posted on Instagram (as translated from Portuguese):
"Great win team! Europe bound!"
The win was Martinez's side's third in five friendlies following their 'perfect' Euro 2024 campaign, where they won all 10 games, keeping nine clean sheets, to stake their claim as one of the pre-tournament favourites.
"There's always room for improvement" - Euro 2024-bound Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is on the cusp of more history at Euro 2024. He has scored the most goals (55) in qualifying and finals combined, made the most appearances (25) and a few others.
Already the only player to make five (consecutive) appearances at the Euros and scoring in as many different editions, Ronaldo is all set to extend both records. The latter feat will make him the oldest player to score in the Euro finals.
Ahead of a record-extending sixth European Championship appearance, the Portugal captain is not intent to rest on his laurels and is continually looking to improve to stay relevant and effective, telling UEFA.com:
"Year after year, we're always trying to improve certain things. There's always room for improvement. 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."
About the secret of his longevity, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner added:
"That's the key word. 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."
Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to add to his Euro 2016 triumph after a 44-goal first full season in Saudi Arabian football.