It’s a cruel irony that the most iconic moment of Cristiano Ronaldo ’s international career came with him off the pitch.
Portugal have relied on their talisman for the best part of two decades, but it was with Ronaldo orchestrating from the sidelines when they finally tasted glory. And despite scoring 128 of them for his national side, it’s Eder who is owner of Portugal’s most famous goal.
Ronaldo still has a winner’s medal, but a man so obsessed with his own legacy will surely want his own crowning moment - and if that is to happen, it will almost certainly need to do so in Germany.
At 39, Ronaldo still scoring goals at a stunning rate, albeit in the Saudi Pro League. In Qatar, Portugal appeared to be ushering a post-Ronaldo era, with the image of him slumped in the dugout a lasting one from a disappointing campaign.
Roberto Martinez has continued to pick the forward though, scoring 10 goals in a perfect qualification phase from an otherwise distinctly average group. But when the going gets tough, will Martinez stick with his main man, or have the courage to trust some of his talented deputies? Mirror Football takes a look at Portugal and their hopes in Germany.
Premier League odds and betting tips
The Ronaldo conundrum
Most talk around Portugal starts and ends with their record goalscorer. Just as it was with Manchester United, his presence in the squad is always headline news. But these are so much more than a one-man team.
Even in attack, they have the likes of Diogo Jota, Rafael Leao and Goncalo Ramos - who starred at the World Cup 18 months ago. But even in their pre-Euro 2024 friendly, it was the old-timer still showing he has plenty left in the tank.
Martinez’s job is more than just keeping Ronaldo happy though and there may be a time when their most potent attacking lineup doesn’t include him at all.
That could ultimately decide how far Portugal go in the next six weeks, if Martinez can keep his attacking talents firing - and happy - they are one of the teams to beat.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has a delicate balancing act to perform at Euro 2024Martinez still has plenty to prove
The appointment of the former Everton coach was a controversial one, particularly after failing to lead Belgium’s golden generation to glory. The Red Devils were perennial contenders, but failed to get over the hump, with many pointing to the man in the dugout as the weak link.
But he has done all he can since replacing Fernando Santos, navigating an easy qualification group with even more consummate ease. But he will be judged on what happens in major tournaments and how far he can take a richly talented Portugal team.
Martinez has a reputation for playing vibrant and attacking football, he certainly has the squad to do that at Euro 2024.
Premier League interest
Remarkably, 15 of Portugal’s squad have either played, or are currently playing in the English top flight. And the ones who haven’t will be familiar names to fans of the Premier League with transfer links to some of the top clubs in the competition.
Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool are all represented, with Fulham ’s Joaoa Palhinha a regular in their midfield.
And needless to say, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ past and present make up a large portion of the squad…six have played at Molineux at some point in their career. Pedro Neto heads to his first major tournament after missing the World Cup. And following a stunning Premier League season there have been links with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, he could make himself a genuine star on the world stage in Germany.
World Cup hero wants Man Utd move as doubts over Harry Maguire's future grow
Joao Neves - linked with Man Utd - could be set for a huge summer (Getty Images)Joao Neves is another to have been linked with a massive transfer, United are understood to be monitoring the midfielder, he could be another to step out of Ronaldo’s shadow this summer.
A favourable group - but what next?
As they were handed in qualifying, Portugal’s group - on paper at least - looks very winnable. Turkey, Czechia and Georgia shouldn’t provide too much resistance, with topping the group very much on the cards.
They could then face the likes of Serbia or Croatia in the round of 16, before a potential tie with Netherlands in the quarter final. A run to the semis looks very attainable, then it will be a case of beating the best to become the best. Whether they can remains the question.
Verdict
Portugal have a squad almost every competing nation would swap in a heartbeat. A spine of Diogo Costa, Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best in the tournament and there is no excuse to not make a deep run.
But Martinez has a track record of failing to deliver with brilliant squads and managing Ronaldo’s ‘last dance’ will be a tightrope act others before him have failed to traverse. Portugal are one of the teams to beat, but will fall short of the biggest prize with a final ‘what if’ added to their greatest ever player’s international career.
Prediction: Beaten semi-finalists
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