For Euro Cup 2016, they call you luck but they have no idea how hard you worked.
“Ronaldo succeeded in something that Messi has always missed: winning an important title with his national team shirt.”
Massimo Marianella
The story of Euro Cup 2016
Ronaldo’s Portugal in the 2016 Euro Cup managed to perform a real sports miracle. Which rarely anyone can think. In the final, Portugal’s captain, Cristiano Ronaldo was injured between the first 25 minutes. He was in tears when he left the pitch with his damaged knee. He had tried his best to carry on and when he finally accepted that he couldn’t it felt like Portugal’s hopes were finished. He looked broken. The injury occurred after eight minutes when Payet’s knee followed though, at speed, into the side of Ronaldo’s left leg.
“We said we would win it for him. And we just managed to win it for him.”
Pepe said of Ronaldo.
With Eder settling the match 11 minutes before the penalty shootout, Ronaldo was left to hoist the Euro Cup high into the air and less than two hours after he left the field in tears, he was displaying all the emotions of the man who had finally achieved his dream.
“No one believed us. I had already won everything with clubs. I lacked something with the national team.”
Ronaldo said afterwards.
Ronaldo’s stature and influence, even when he was out of the action, he motivated his teammates from the sideline. There was footage where people saw him encourage João Moutinho to take a penalty in quarter-final shootout against Poland. And here he played the role of inspiration at a crucial time.
After becoming the first man to lead Portugal to a major trophy, Santos was quick to praise Ronaldo for being the leader on the pitch.
“With him being there in the locker room and on the bench it was very important to us, to reach the players and motivate them.”
Fernando Santos, Coach of Portugal National Team
It’s the first ever trophy in their history with Cristiano, also winning his first ever international trophy.
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