Cristiano Ronaldo etched his identify into European Championship historical past on Tuesday after turning into the primary participant to characteristic in six totally different editions of the event.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was named in Roberto Martinez’s beginning XI as Portugal began their Euro 2024 marketing campaign in opposition to Czechia in Leipzig.
Having appeared at each Euros since his 2004 debut, Ronaldo is the primary to register six event outings within the 64-year historical past of UEFA’s high worldwide competitors.
Ronaldo additionally equalled the report for essentially the most consecutive European Championship appearances made for a nation, that includes in all 18 of Portugal’s matches because the Euro 2008 quarter-final.
Solely Leonardo Bonucci, for Italy between 2012 and 2021, can match that feat – however no participant comes close to the 39-year-old’s scoring report on the European stage.
Since 1972, Ronaldo has managed 20 objective contributions on the Euros (14 targets, six assists), greater than double another participant – France’s Michel Platini is second on 10 (9 targets, one help).
But there was extra historical past for one more Portugal participant in Martinez’s line-up.
Veteran centre-back Pepe is simply the second participant to seem in as many as 20 video games on the European Championship finals after Ronaldo (26).
That pair are the primary and third oldest gamers to play at this competitors’s finals, too, in addition to being the oldest two outfielders, with Pepe aged 41 years and 113 days and Ronaldo at 39 years and 134 days.
