“If it was Cristiano Ronaldo, it would have been amazing, but I think some German” - Luis Figo makes prediction about Euro 2024 Golden Boot
Former Portugal captain Luis Figo has alluded that his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to win the Euro 2024 Golden Boot. After four games, the 39-year-old is yet to open his account at this year's European Championship in Germany.
Ronaldo arrived at the tournament in sparkling form - a 44-goal season with Al-Nassr and 10 goals in Portugal's successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign last year. But he's yet to open his account after four games.
Meanwhile, three players - Jamal Musiala (Germany), Georges Mikautadze (Georgia) and Ivan Schranz (Slovakia) lead the Golden Boot standings with three goals apiece, with the latter two now out of the tournament.
Providing his take on the Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner, Figo said on Inside the Box with Rio Ferdinand (on UEFA):
“Golden boot? If it was Cristiano, it would have been amazing but I think some German (player will win it). Not (Kai) Havertz, but maybe someone else.”
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has gone scoreless in three group games in the ongoing Euros, marking the fist time in 11 major tournaments he failed to score in the group stage. Ronaldo squandered a golden chance to break his Euro 2024 when he stepped up for a penalty in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 win over Slovenia in Frankfurt on Monday (July 1).
The chance, though, went begging, as a diving Jan Oblak dived to his left to pull off a terrific save and keep the game scoreless, ending Ronaldo's run of 24 successful spot-kicks for club and country. He would later redeem himself in the shootout, though, as A Selecao won 3-0 to book a quarterfinal date with France.
Milestones Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved at Euro 2024 so far
Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo might be still looking for his first goal at Euro 2024, but he has had a memorable campaign so far, carving out a few records and milestones.
By taking the field in the 2-1 group-stage win over the Czech Republic, Ronaldo became the first player to appear in six editions of the Euros, with nobody else doing so in more than four.
With his assist to Bruno Fernandes in the 3-0 win over Turkey in the next game, Ronaldo tied the Czech Republic's Karol Poborsky's mark of most assists (eight) at the Euros.
By scoring in the shootout win over Slovenia, Ronaldo has become the first player to score in three Euros shootouts in as many different editions, having also done so in the 2004 quarter-final win over England and the 2016 quarter-final win over Poland.
Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo is also the oldest player to score in a European Championship shootout. Can he now score in a record-extending sixth Euros campaign in the next game with Les Bleus in Hamburg on Friday (July 5) as a place in the semi-final beckons?