Cristiano Ronaldo Highlights Trophy Success As Measure For Portugal's Euro 2024 Squad

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Portugal have the right ingredients to succeed at Euro 2024, but insists the current squad will be judged on the trophies they win as a group. The 39-year-old will make history in Germany as he becomes the first player to feature in six editions of the competition, already holding records for most games (25), most goals (14), and joint-most assists (6).

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was part of the Selecao das Quinas side that lifted the trophy back in 2016 and is hoping to add another international accolade to his collection. "I'm proud to be the first player to play in six EURO tournaments. I'm thrilled about it as it shows the longevity of my career," Ronaldo stated. "However, it's merely a chapter in what Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved in football."

Portugal won all 10 of their qualifiers, but their preparations for the tournament have not gone as planned, suffering defeats to Croatia and Slovenia in recent friendlies. Roberto Martinez's side face the Republic of Ireland in their final game before they travel to Germany ahead of their Group F opener against the Czech Republic on June 18.

Despite recent results, Ronaldo believes that the current Portugal squad is full of talented individuals but insisted that the success of the team will be measured by winning international honours. "I firmly believe that this team will bring a lot of joy to the Portuguese fans, beginning with this EURO," said Ronaldo. "However, in my opinion, the best generation of players are always those who win (trophies)."

Ronaldo added, "I hope this national team will win because it's an incredibly talented squad. As we all know, though, talent alone is not enough to win. There are many things that go into winning a major tournament like this one. We have all the ingredients to win it, but we'll take it one step at a time, game by game, all the while believing that we can win it."

"What we achieved in 2016 was historic, both in Portuguese football and world football. Now we have our feet firmly on the ground but our mind up in the sky to look up and see that it is possible to win the EURO," Ronaldo concluded.

Feliz Dia de Portugal, de Cames e das Comunidades Portuguesas!