It feels like it was just yesterday when Cristiano Ronaldo almost single-handedly led Portugal to Euro 2016 success. While he might not have fired them to glory on the pitch, his performances before the final ensured the Seleção got to the decisive match, and his calm leadership from the sidelines helped steer the team to a 1-0 extra-time victory against France.
It was a landmark moment for Cristiano, as few would ever debate that he isn’t one of the greatest players of all time. However, a criticism often levelled at the superstar is that he doesn’t deliver in the big international games when it matters most; Euro 2016 shattered that myth. Ronaldo netted himself or assisted 6 of the 9 goals Portugal scored in the tournament. His domestic and international form landed him the Ballon d’Or that year ahead of fellow great Lionel Messi.
Examining Portugal’s Euro 2024 chances
The landscape of European football has changed considerably in the eight years since Portugal lifted the trophy. Cristiano is in the twilight of his glistening career, and although there are several top players in the Portugal squad, England and France are the two teams leading the charge as the favourites for this year’s competition.
Sports bookmakers are split between the English and the French this time around. Some betting companies have England slightly ahead, hovering between odds of 3/1 and 10/3, but you can find similar odds for France to win the Euros as well. Euro 2024 final odds are a good gauge of how the latter stages of the competition could shape up, and while the bookies don’t always get it right, they are usually in the right ballpark when it comes to the odds.
Hosts Germany could be good odds at around 6/1, but these odds often fluctuate and are subject to greater movements as we draw closer to the beginning of the tournament. Portugal is just behind Germany at around 8/1, so although other teams may be more highly favoured, the bookies clearly think that Portugal has an outside chance.
Looking at potential winners
Gareth Southgate’s men have the best chance they’ve ever had of winning the Euros. Despite coming within a whisker of winning the last one, eventually succumbing to the Italians in the final, the team has somehow grown much stronger. Players such as Phil Foden, Buyako Saka and Jude Bellingham have emerged as genuine world-class players.
As always with England, their inability to get over the finish line could hamper them. They haven’t won a major tournament in nearly 60 years, and Portugal fans will be hoping this mental barrier plays a deciding factor in their failure at the final hurdle once again.
France has the might of Kylian Mbappe leading its frontline, and it came within a whisker of winning the World Cup in 2022. A lot of their squad has improved since then. Even Mbappe, who has continued to grow in stature, has somehow improved since the World Cup 2022, where he scored a hat trick in the final. Portugal will have to be firing on all cylinders, and England, France and Germany will have to lose a step or two for the Portuguese to have a chance in this year’s tournament.
The Cristiano impact
Despite turning 39 this year, Cristiano is still regularly playing at a domestic level and continuing to break records. More importantly, he is keeping himself in fantastic shape. He is Portugal’s greatest-ever player, and considering he’s averaging more than a goal a game for Al-Nassr, it is clear he still has a lot to offer the national team.
Cristiano is the focal point of any Portugal team and has been since 2004. Even in the latter stages of his career, he could easily help them reach the Euro 2024 final. As long as he avoids injury and the players around him can create space and chances for him to find the back of the net, he will undoubtedly determine Portugal's fate in this year’s competition.
Given that this will likely be his final major competition where he will be impactful, there will be an added personal drive for him to lift silverware once again as the captain of his national team. However, with England and France almost universally recognised as the two potential winners, it will take a lot more than Cristiano to push Portugal to the final and potential glory.
His experience will play a big role, especially if Portugal progresses to the latter stages of this year’s Euros. He is one of the few players from that Euro 2016-winning team who is still playing. If he can combine his generational talent with his experience, it wouldn’t be a big shock to see Portugal reach the final, but it is a tough ask.
