Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is poised to set more records after the European Championship golden boot holder was selected by Portugal for Uefa Euro 2024.
The only player to take part in five editions of the finals, Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, has appeared at every Euro since 2004.
“Proud to represent Portugal again at the Euros,” the striker responded to his call-up as part of Roberto Martinez’s 26-man squad. “Let’s go with everything.”
Read our other sports news stories:
Mourinho ‘starts talks with Besiktas’
Ten Hag: Football ‘all about trophies’
Matip and Thiago to leave Liverpool as free agents
Ronaldo Euro records
Ronaldo could become the oldest player to score at the finals, overtaking Austria’s Ivica Vastic, who was 38 years and 257 days old when he plundered against Poland in 2008.
The 39-year-old has a total of 14 goals at the tournament – five more than next-nearest player Michel Platini, a France legend.
He has also played in a record 25 games, although fellow Portugal player Pepe, who is on 19 and has also been called up, will move outright second in that respect should the defender make an appearance, ahead of former team-mate Joao Moutinho.
View this post on Instagram
Martinez said Ronaldo offers “a quality in front of goal which we greatly appreciate and which we need”, according to BBC Sport.
Elsewhere among the squad, Bayern Munich full-back Raphael Guerreiro missed out because of a lack of fitness, with Nelson Semedo favoured.
Porto winger Francisco Conceicao was described as “a firebrand of an exceptional level” by Martinez, who allayed concerns over Wolves wideman Pedro Neto’s fitness.
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes expressed his excitement at being included and will be joined by club team-mate Diogo Dalot.
Martinez said it had been “very difficult” and “sad” to leave out Braga winger Ricardo Horta and called Sporting pair Pedro Goncalves and Francisco Trincao’s exclusion “unlucky”.
Portugal were knocked out by Martinez’s Belgium in the round of 16 at Euro 2020, in which Ronaldo’s five goals made the five-time Ballon d’Or winner the joint-top scorer alongside Czechia’s Patrik Schick.
Portugal Euro 2024 squad
Goalkeepers:
Diogo Costa (Porto)
Jose Sa (Wolverhampton)
Rui Patrício (Roma)
Defenders:
Antonio Silva (Benfica)
Danilo (Paris St-Germain)
Diogo Dalot (Manchester United)
Gonçalo Inacio (Sporting)
Joao Cancelo (Barcelona)
Nelson Semedo (Wolves)
Nuno Mendes (PSG)
Pepe (Porto)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Midfielders:
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Joao Neves (Benfica)
Joao Palhinha (Fulham)
Otavio (Al Nassr)
Ruben Neves (Al Hilal)
Vitinha (PSG)
Bernardo Silva (Man City)
Forwards:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
Francisco Conceicao (Porto)
Goncalo Ramos (PSG)
Joao Felix (Barcelona)
Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton)
Rafael Leao (Milan)
