Portugal captain and record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo is delighted to be back in the national team for the upcoming game against Slovakia on Friday (October 13) and the away game against Bosnia and Herzegovina three days later Asia’s 2024 UEFA European Cup qualifiers.
The Selecao had a perfect qualifying campaign, winning all six games and are on course to reach next year’s finals in Germany. Roberto Martinez’s side will do so if they beat second-placed Slovakia on Friday and third-placed Luxembourg fail to beat Iceland on the same day.
Ronaldo, 38, has been in fine form for his team Al-Nassr this season. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner leads the Saudi Professional League’s scoring charts with 10 goals in eight games and is joint top assists leader (tied with Murad Butna) with five goals.
The Real Madrid legend conceded a rare point in the weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Abha, ending Alami’s six-game winning streak in the league. However, he is also in good form for the national team, scoring five goals in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Ahead of Friday’s game against Slovakia, Ronaldo shared a photo of himself in training on his Instagram Story. Here is the screenshot:
It is worth noting that the Selecao captain missed the team’s last game – the 9-0 home victory over Luxembourg last month – due to accumulated yellow cards.
Cristiano Ronaldo opens up about his international future with Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players to grace this beautiful game and holds several records in men’s international football. He has the most appearances (201) and goals (123) among men in international football.
Ronaldo made his international debut with Portugal two decades ago and is still going strong and is unlikely to stop anytime soon. He recently hinted that he will continue playing until he feels like it, telling The Record (via Sports Bible):
“I always have something to offer and when we have nothing to offer it shows that we are dead. Every year, I always have something to offer. Proving that I can set the example of longevity, at 38 and a half years old, I Think, I still get to do really interesting things.
“What? Goals, assists, good preparation in the selections, a good qualifying stage, a good Euros and continuing to do what I have done in my 21-year career. I will continue to enjoy it in the same way. “I still feel useful and good. Keep enjoying football, that’s what I love most.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer in the history of the European Cup (14 goals) and the top scorer in the history of the European Qualifiers (36 goals). The Portugal captain is now looking to feature and score in a record sixth European Cup final, with no other player having featured in more than four games.