On May 22nd (Beijing Time), Portugal announced its UEFA Euro 2024 squad, including the 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be participating in his sixth European Championship. Portugal’s manager, Martinez, expressed that the team still relies on Ronaldo’s contribution.
Speaking about Ronaldo, Martinez showed great respect, “With Cristiano, we can look at his performance. He scored 42 goals in 42 matches (it was actually 42) for his club this season. He maintains a good physical condition, and his goal-scoring instincts and ability to seize opportunities are still crucial for the team.”
Martinez continued, “When I select players, I don’t only consider which league they play in. Our aim is to gather the best 26 players for the Euros, based on their performance on the pitch and their role in the locker room. We’ve been monitoring the players’ performances since March 2023.”
Before the Euros, Portugal will have warm-up matches against Finland, Croatia, and Ireland. In the tournament, Portugal is drawn alongside the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Georgia in the same group. With a strong squad, Portugal will be targeting the European Championship title.