Current Portugal squad will be measured by trophy success, says Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Portugal have all the right ingredients to succeed at Euro 2024, but believes the current squad will be judged on the trophies they win as a group.

The 39-year-old will make history in Germany as he becomes the first player to feature in six editions of the competition, already holding the records of having the most games (25), most goals (14) and joint-most assists on record (six).

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was part of the Selecao das Quinas side that lifted the trophy back in 2016 and is hoping to add another international accolade to his collection.

“I’m proud to be the first player to play in six Euro tournaments,” Ronaldo told UEFA.com. “I’m thrilled about it as it shows the longevity of my career. However, it’s merely a chapter in what Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved in football.

“I’m happy, and I feel privileged to be here to help the national team achieve its goals and, of course, try to go on and win it, which is our primary goal.”

Feliz Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas! pic.twitter.com/VIR9EnbOjv

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) June 10, 2024

Portugal won all 10 of their qualifiers, but their preparations for the tournament have not gone as planned, suffering defeats to Croatia and Slovenia in recent friendlies.

Roberto Martinez’s side face the Republic of Ireland in their final game before they travel to Germany ahead of their Group F opener against the Czech Republic on June 18.

Despite recent results, Ronaldo believes the current Portugal squad is full of talented individuals, but insists that the success of the team will be measured by winning international honours.

“I firmly believe that this team will bring a lot of joy to the Portuguese fans, beginning with this Euro,” said Ronaldo.

“However, in my opinion, the best generation of players are always those who win (trophies). I hope this national team will win because it’s an incredibly talented squad.

“As we all know, though, talent alone is not enough to win. There are many things that go into winning a major tournament like this one. We have all the ingredients to win it, but we’ll take it one step at a time, game by game, all the while believing that we can win it.

“What we achieved in 2016 was historic, both in Portuguese football and world football. Now we have our feet firmly on the ground but our mind up in the sky to look up and see that it is possible to win the Euro.”