FIFA World Cup 2024 - Cristiano Ronaldo, the ageless goal-scoring prodigy disproves all detractors.
Nearly like he never left, Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 39, has been playing for the Al-Nassr FC in the Saudi Professional League for the last year and a half. The league may not be of the highest standard, but it still entices other ageing stars like Neymar and Sadio Mané with lucrative deals.
Set to make his final appearance on the grand soccer stage beforehand, at the European Championship with Portugal's national team, the question arises: will the legendary goal scorer Methuselah show up? The answer is a resounding yes, and what a show he put on! In Portugal's last test match against Ireland, he put on an impressive performance and shut down all doubters. Portugal won 3-0 in Alveiro. Ronaldo scored two goals. It felt like his glory days when Ronaldo and Lionel Messi led world football.
Ronaldo: Passion Rules
In the first half, he sent a typical free kick crashing against the post. After the break, he joined a team with many other elite players such as Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes. He scored his first goal in the 50th minute with a breathtaking overhead kick, his second goal ten minutes later following an assist from Silva. He even missed the goalpost by an inch. He flaunted his well-known goal celebration and took the game seriously. It's clear that someone determined to show he's still relevant after 1.5 years in Saudi Arabia has stepped up. Earlier in a Uefa interview, Ronaldo had said, "Playing for the national team is a passion, it's a love."
Portugal's national coach, Roberto Martinez, now knows that he can't do without the superstar. Portuguese media hailed Ronaldo's best performance since Martinez took over the team in 2023. "It seemed like he (Ronaldo) still has a lot to say at his last EM," wrote Spain's popular sports newspaper "Marca".
Scoring Spree
Examining Ronaldo's goal history, there's been no dip. In 45 games for Al-Nassr, he found the net 44 times. In the EM qualification, he was the top scorer for the Seleção with ten goals. Against Ireland in his 207th international match, he scored the 129th and 130th international goals. Now he has the chance to break his own EM record of 14 goals. Ronaldo has participated in his sixth European Championship.
There's a strong possibility he will break the record. Because Ronaldo has a seasoned squad supporting him. The qualification for the EM was flawless with ten victories in ten games (against not-so-formidable opponents). Recently, the Portuguese lost narrowly to Croatia 1:2, but Ronaldo was absent. Against Ireland, the team displayed itself as a finely-tuned machine, playing variably and with pressure. Portugal and Ronaldo are geared up for the EM.
