Euro 2020: Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo can break these records
The European Championships got off to a terrific start with Italy thrashing Turkey 3-0 in the opener. All eyes will be on defending champions Portugal, who open their campaign against Hungary on June 15. Portugal are placed in Group F that has France and Germany as well. Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo can script several records in the tournament. We decode the same.
Ronaldo has netted 104 goals for Portugal in a defining career. The Juventus forward, who made his international debut in 2003, has 175 caps under his belt. Notably, Ronaldo is only the second player with 100-plus goals at the international level. Ronaldo needs six goals to become the top scorer in international football. He can surpass record holder Ali Daei of Iran (109 goals).
Ronaldo is currently tied with former Italian hero Michel Platini in terms of most goals scored in the European Championships. Both Platini and Ronaldo have amassed nine goals each. Ronaldo needs one more to steer clear of Platini and set a record. This will be the fifth Euro campaign for Ronaldo, who scored three goals each in 2012 and 2016 respectively.
Ronaldo alongside the likes of Gerd Muller (West Germany, 1972); Michel Platini (France, 1984); Rudi Voller (West Germany, 1984 and 1988); Wayne Rooney (England, 2004); and Antoine Griezmann (France, 2016) has scored at least twice in two games at the Euros. The veteran Juventus star can script a new record by scoring a brace for the third time or more.
If Portugal make it to the Euro 2020 final, then Ronaldo will become the first player to have appeared in three finals. He had earlier been a finalist in 2004 and a winner in 2016. Alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo is tied at the top for most tournaments with at least two goals. He can set a new record in this regard.
Ronaldo holds the record for most tournaments with at least one goal (4). He can become the first player to script this record in five tournaments. Ronaldo can also extend the record of scoring at least one goal in most matches (7). Ronaldo, who has the most matches under his belt at the Euros (21), can extend the record to 25 or more.
