Coach Roberto Martinez has affirmed the importance of striker Cristiano Ronaldo to the Portuguese team at the EURO 2024 finals.

On May 21, coach Roberto Martinez announced the list of 26 Portuguese players participating in the EURO 2024 finals. Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo continues to appear at Europe’s largest football festival. The 39-year-old striker has attended the EURO finals for the 6th time, the most in the tournament’s history. He holds the record for scoring the most goals and playing the most matches at the EURO finals. Ronaldo scored in the five EURO finals he attended (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020).

During yesterday’s press conference, coach Roberto Martinez shared with reporters about Ronaldo’s importance to the Portuguese team. The Spanish strategist said: “For Cristiano Ronaldo, I think it’s better to talk about statistics. Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 41 matches for Al-Nassr. I really like and need the model.” The player is durable and possesses incredible physical strength and sharp finishing skills.

We do not make selections based on the club the players play for. We want to name the 26 players who make up the best team. We monitor the individual performances of the players and their roles in the dressing room. There are players who play secondary roles in strong teams and other players who play important roles in slightly weaker teams. From March 2023 until now, we have a lot of information.”

Ronaldo has made 206 appearances for the Portuguese team and scored 128 goals. The Al-Nassr striker is the person who scores the most goals at the international level. Ronaldo is one of 7 strikers on the list to participate in the EURO 2024 finals of the Portuguese team.

Before the tournament, Roberto Martinez’s team will have three friendly matches against Finland, Croatia and the Republic of Ireland. The Portuguese team is in Group F at the EURO 2024 finals, with the presence of Türkiye, Czech Republic and Georgia.