"It was not an easy game" - France star William Saliba opens up on facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal at EURO 2024
France defender William Saliba opened up on his experience of marking Cristiano Ronaldo in his side's victory over Portugal at Euro 2024 on Friday (July 5). In a high-octane quarter-final clash, neither side could break the deadlock over 120 minutes before Didier Deschamps' side held their nerve in the penalty shootout to win 5-3.
The Arsenal man was handed the strenuous responsibility of keeping Ronaldo in check. He fulfilled his duties in impressive fashion, stifling the 39-year-old for the entirety of the game.
While being marked by Saliba, Ronaldo couldn't complete a dribble, took only three shots (one on target) and had just three touches in France's box. The Frenchman also completed 48/49 passes (98%), made two blocks and eight clearances and recovered the ball four times.
Speaking to the media after the game, the 23-year-old claimed that it wasn't easy to limit the Al-Nassr superstar's offensive output. He said (via Metro):
"It was not an easy game because we faced one of the best teams in the tournament in Portugal. We knew we shouldn’t give him [Ronaldo] space. We’re happy we didn’t concede today because Portugal have great players up front. Since the beginning of the competition, we have been solid and to be able to defend as a team. It is not only the defenders who have to do that job."
While Ronaldo's Portugal have been eliminated from Euro 2024, Saliba's France continue their journey towards the final. Up next, they will take on Spain, who beat Germany 2-1 in the last eight, in a mouth-watering semi-final at the Allianz Arena on July 9.
"I don't know" - Former France star says William Saliba needs one more attribute away to become 'best in the world'
Former Paris Saint-Germain and France midfielder Yohan Cabaye claimed that Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is just one attribute away from becoming the best defender in the world.
Cabaye played with Saliba at his boyhood club Saint-Etienne in the 2019-20 season.
While the 38-year-old retired after that campaign, the 23-year-old has blossomed into a defensive phenom. He has helped Les Bleus keep four clean sheets in their five games at EURO 2024, which has in turn helped them reach the semi-finals.
Cabaye said that Saliba was a 'very, very, very good defender', but was missing one key skill from his game. In conversation with Ladbrokes, he said (via Metro):
"Is William Saliba the best defender in the world right now? I don’t know. But I’ve known him for a long time now. I knew him at Saint-Etienne, and you could see the potential there... He loves those one-on-one battles, he’s really strong... Technically, he’s so relaxed on the ball, and so good at finding the right ball and starting attacks."
"For me, he’s a very, very, very good defender. He’ll be a complete defender when he’s able to score more goals, from set-pieces. Sometimes his headers aren’t quite at the top level, but other than that, he’s a special player. For me, he’s the best French player in the Premier League right now," Cabaye concluded.