The clash of the biggest national teams in Europe is underway, with players raising their national flags high in Germany for the highly entertaining 2024 UEFA European Championship.
As one of the world’s most-watched international soccer tournaments, Euro 2024 offers players the chance to bring out their stellar performances and compete for glory, along with a staggering prize pool.
The total pot on offer is a whopping 331 million euros, the same amount as Euro 2020. Match bonuses include 1 million euros for a win and half a million euros for a draw, an amount that dwarfs even the biggest online casino bonuses.
All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest players to have ever set foot on a football pitch, during their opening Euro 2024 group stage game against Czechia.
A good start for Portugal
Portugal got off to a good start despite a rollercoaster game that saw them concede moments after the hour mark and come back to win 2-1 in Leipzig. While it wasn’t one of the best nights for Cristiano Ronaldo, that didn’t stop the talisman from setting yet another record.
He became the first player in History to appear in 6 Euros. He made his first appearance for his nation when he was only 18 and more than two decades later, the 39-year-old is showing the world that he still has the magic touch.
His teammates and fans had a lot to say regarding his performance after the game.
The highlights
Portugal created some chances in the first half, especially for Ronaldo, who failed to find the net. Ten minutes after the break, the “GOAT” had a golden opportunity to give the home team the lead through a header, which was deflected off Czech skipper Tomas Soucek for a corner.
The highlight of the game, especially for the Czech fans, was when Portugal failed to clear an opposition corner. The Czechs used this opportunity to score a marvelous goal by Lucas Provod. In the 62nd minute, Portugal was trailing behind.
They had to come up with something quickly, and shortly after, their efforts paid off. Czech fan celebrations were cut short when Portugal equalized 7 minutes after the first goal of the match. The home team clawed their way back into the game through an unfortunate own goal.
Nuno Mendes's headed effort found its way towards Stanek, the goalkeeper. However, the ball slipped through Czech’s goalkeeper and hit Robin Hranac before bouncing into the net.
Ronaldo could have gotten himself an assist and registered a key moment in the dying moments of normal time, but the build-up leading to Diogo Jota’s goal was ruled offside in the 87th minute.
Tension clouded the atmosphere, and anxiety crept into the fans as they watched what was going to be a peaceful draw end bitterly in the 92nd minute.
This is the moment when 21-year-old substitute Francisco Conceição found the net for Portugal to secure Roberto Martinez’s side a dramatic win and a very important one for his first international goal.
Ronaldo’s performance wasn’t the best, but they got the win
In the face of criticism following an underwhelming performance, Ronaldo received support from his teammates. Vitinha was one of the players who hailed the number 7’s performance after the game.
He mentioned how it was incredible to share the pitch with a legend who appeared in 6 Euros and someone who keeps setting records.
He highlighted how Cristiano and Pepe are national legends who keep showing up even at their age, which is no easy feat for people in their 40s. The Portuguese midfielder concluded that age doesn’t matter.
According to him, what matters is how Ronaldo and Pepe help the team, how they play, and how big of a privilege it is for him and his teammates to play alongside the two legends.
Diogo Dalot also told reporters that Ronaldo was very focused, very fit, and was ready to score goals. “I know everybody will always expect him to score goals. Sometimes, he scores; a lot of times, he scores! Today, he was very close.”
“Obviously, you can see in the game that he played how much he ran today. He helped us with and without the ball he was always moving, energetic, and that’s the Cristiano that we want,” he added.
The fans spoke
Fans were not left out of the conversation either as one of them wrote: "A great winner (referring to Cristiano Ronaldo). When I saw his reaction after Czechia scored, I knew they were still going to win the game."
Another one via the platform formerly known as Twitter said, “It means everything for Ronaldo to win the match and celebrate alongside Francisco Conceicao.”
Another fan who traveled to Leipzig to see him live said this after the game amidst chants of ‘Siuuuu,’ “I can’t express in words how happy I am, Portugal is the best country in the world, and Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in football in the whole world.”
With 3 important points already in the tally from their first match, fans and spectators were pleased to see Portugal impress with a win in their game against Turkiye, who were tied with them at 3 points in Group F.
