Cristiano Ronaldo eyes history at EURO 2024 in Germany

By Mutlu Demirtastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Portugal’s football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to go down in history as the first player to participate in six European championships as he prepares to light up the UEFA EURO 2024 stage in Germany.

The 39-year-old Al-Nassr forward previously donned the colors of Portugal in EURO 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020, while clinching the 2016 title in France.

Playing for his nation since 2003, Ronaldo will be Portugal’s most experienced footballer as he was named in the star-studded squad for the EURO 2024 that will kick off on June 14 in Germany.

Former champions Portugal will play their EURO 2024 Group F opener against the Czech Republic on June 18, before meeting Türkiye on June 22. They will face Georgia on June 26 in their last group stages match.

- Most appearances, most goals

Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in the past five European championships, also picking up the record for the most appearances by playing in 25 matches.

In securing the record for most goals, he’s overtaken football greats like France’s Michel Platini and England forward Alan Shearer. The only active player who comes close is France star Antoine Griezmann.

Platini scored nine goals and Shearer had seven to his name in the EUROs.

Griezmann, the 33-year-old Atletico Madrid forward, has scored seven goals in the European championships and will feature in this year’s tournament, as well.

Ronaldo has also scored 41 goals in the European qualifiers, putting him far ahead of his rivals Robbie Keane (23) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (19).

Including the European Championship qualifiers, Ronaldo has made 64 appearances, ahead of Italian Gianluigi Buffon (58) and Croatian Luka Modric (53).

- New records ahead

If Ronaldo scores at EURO 2024, he will overtake Austria's Ivica Vastic, who at 38 years and 257 days is the oldest player to score in the tournament’s history.

On the other hand, if Portugal reach the final, Ronaldo could break Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci's record for the oldest player to score in a final (34 years 71 days) and German Jens Lehmann's record for the oldest player to play in a final (38 years 232 days).

If Portugal clinches the EURO 2024 title, Cristiano could also overtake Dutchman Arnold Muhren (37 years and 23 days) as the oldest player to win a European title.

Ronaldo, who has worn the Portugal jersey 206 times in his 21-year national team career, is the player with the most national appearances, ahead of Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa (196).

With 128 goals, the veteran star is the highest scorer for a national team in football history, ahead of Iran's Ali Daei (108), and Argentina's Lionel Messi (106).

*Writing by Selcuk Bugra Gokalp