Cristiano Ronaldo has set another record: He is the first man to participate in six different editions of the European Championship.
At 39 years old, Ronaldo surpassed his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric when he started in Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Czechia on Tuesday in their Euro 2024 opener. Modric increased his tally to five appearances when he played in Croatia’s match against Spain last week.
Ronaldo, who debuted in the tournament as a teenager in 2004 on home soil, played a crucial role in helping Portugal secure their only continental title in 2016. He also holds the European Championship records for most goals, most matches played, and the most tournaments in which he has scored.
There was uncertainty about his position in the national team after former manager Fernando Santos benched him during the 2022 World Cup. However, Ronaldo, who now plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr, has re-established himself as a key player under current manager Roberto Martinez, netting 10 goals during the qualifiers for this summer’s event.
Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes and scored twice in Portugal’s final pre-tournament friendly against Ireland, bringing his record to 130 goals in 207 international appearances.
After a prolific season in which he set a new Saudi Pro League record with 35 goals, Martinez affirmed that the veteran’s inclusion in the Portugal squad is well-deserved.
“Cristiano is in the team on merit, no one gets in by having a name,” Martinez stated during Monday’s pre-match press conference, according to Tim Spiers of The Athletic. “He scored 51 goals in 50 games and he scored 10 in qualifying.
“For us, he’s a goalscorer, someone who can make that final move, stretch defenders, open spaces. He has changed his way of playing slightly, but he’s in on merit and the numbers are there to back that up.”
Ronaldo’s teammate Pepe, who is also part of the current Portuguese squad, matched Modric’s five European Championship appearances after starting Tuesday’s match. At 41 years and 113 days old, Pepe became the oldest man to feature in the European Championship, surpassing Hungarian goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, who was 40 when he last played at Euro 2016.
Spanish legend Iker Casillas also attended five European Championships but played in only three of those tournaments.
