Ronaldo Leads Portugal With High Hopes For Euro 2024 Victory

Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his confidence that Portugal deserves to win Euro 2024, issuing a rallying call to the 2016 champions. Roberto Martinez's team is among the favourites to triumph in Germany, where they will start their campaign against Czechia on Tuesday. They will also face Turkiye and debutants Georgia in Group F.

Portugal was the only nation in qualifying to progress with a perfect record, winning all 10 of their matches. They scored 36 goals and conceded just two. However, their impressive form saw a dip with defeats against Croatia and Slovenia in recent friendlies.

Ronaldo, who scored 10 goals during the qualifiers, is set to become the first player to feature in six editions of the European Championship. He already holds the records for most appearances (25) and goals (14) in the tournament. The 39-year-old is part of a star-studded squad that includes Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Goncalo Ramos.

Ronaldo believes that this generation of players is capable of winning another European crown. "I believe that this generation deserves to win a competition of this magnitude," said Ronaldo, who captained Portugal to victory eight years ago. "Semi-finals? I hope we can go further."

He emphasized the importance of taking it step by step and staying calm. "We have to go step by step, live in the moment, be calm, work as well as we have until now, believe that it is possible," he added. "We know it's a short competition, but the team is ready."

Ronaldo also spoke about his personal readiness for the tournament. "I feel ready; I've prepared myself for this competition," he said. "It's my sixth European Championship; it's about enjoying it in the best possible way, playing well and making sure the team can win."

The Portuguese squad's journey will begin with their match against Czechia on Tuesday. Fans are eagerly awaiting to see if Ronaldo and his teammates can replicate their success from 2016 and bring home another European title.