Cristiano Ronaldo will lead his side into the Euro 2020 tournament in a bid to defend their crown. Portugal have a really strong squad and it is safe to say that this squad is stronger than the one which lifted the trophy five years ago in France.
Cristiano Ronaldo will also be chasing Ali Daei’s record of 109 goals with a national team. While Ronaldo will have to score at least 7 goals to overtake the Iranian, we cannot put it past the Juventus striker. Ronaldo scored 3 goals at the 2016 edition, while he found the back of the net four times in the 2018 World Cup.
Portugal have one of the most dangerous attacks in world football. While Ronaldo’s work needs to introduction, the likes of Diogo Jota, Andre Silva and Joao Felix add a lot of pace, skill and most importantly goals to the team. In Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, Portugal have 2 really creative midfielders who are also adept at finishing.
Ruben Dias’ rise over the last 12 months would have been music to the ears of Portugal fans as he will be very important whenever Portugal face the bigger teams. 38-year old Pepe will be the leader in the backline and they are also blessed with some quality full backs like Cancelo, Semedo and Guerreiro.
“I have great confidence in my players and I have the conviction that Portugal is a title candidate,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said.
“The list is not the result of an analysis of two or three days,” Santos said. “If I called up these players, it’s because they all have great quality.”
The current Portugal team trumps any team Cristiano Ronaldo has been part of. If his teammates can help Ronaldo win the Euros, it will surely give the Portuguese a super star an edge over his rival Lionel Messi, who is yet to win a major tournament with Argentina. One thing Ronaldo has on his side is that neither he, nor Messi have had the luxury of having such a potent squad.