European Championship qualification
Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to the limelight with four goals in the first two qualifiers for Euro 2024 in Germany. At the World Cup in Qatar last year, the five-time world footballer did not play a major role for Portugal. Now he is the star of the national team again and is aiming for his sixth participation in a European Championship finals.
“Two games, two wins! Goal achieved,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram after Portugal’s 6-0 win in Luxembourg. “I am happy to have contributed to this very positive start for our national team. Let’s go.” After the disappointing World Cup in Qatar, the end of the “Selecao” seemed to have come for the exceptional kicker. Under coach Fernando Santos, Ronaldo was only a backup player in the end.
After being substituted on in the second half, he was no longer able to prevent the quarter-final defeat by outsiders Morocco (0-1). After the World Cup, he made a financially lucrative move to al-Nassr in the Saudi Arabian league. But under Portugal’s new coach Roberto Martinez, Ronaldo is set again.
Ronaldo scores 122nd goal for Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo continued to be in goal mood. The 38-year-old superstar scored 121 and 122 international goals in Portugal’s 6-0 away win in Luxembourg, adding to his own record.
In both games against the hardly competitive opponents Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, the star striker was in the starting XI – and was able to further expand his records with two goals in each of the qualifying games. 122 goals in 198 international matches are unmatched. “Cristiano has an incredible international experience, probably unique. He’s very important for the dressing room,” said Martinez, who had previously coached Austria’s group opponents Belgium.
So Ronaldo can dream of his sixth participation in the European Championship, which no player has ever managed to do. With 25 European Championship games and 14 goals, he holds other records, and there could be more in 2024 in Germany. Ronaldo celebrated his greatest success with Portugal with the 2016 European Championship title.
European Championship qualifiers
After two rounds of qualifying for the European Championship, England are holding six points with two wins. As against Italy, captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane took center stage in the 2-0 win over Ukraine with another goal.
Bellingham convinces for England
Vice European champions England are also on the right track. The “Three Lions” started their European Championship qualifiers with a prestigious 2-1 win in Italy. On Sunday, team manager Gareth Southgate’s team followed up by beating Ukraine 2-0. Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham received a lot of praise from England legend Steven Gerrard. The 19-year-old midfielder is “much better than I was at his age,” said the former Liverpool captain to Channel 4. Bellingham, who is tied to BVB until 2025 and from several Premier League clubs being courted is “on the right track”.
Meanwhile, European champions Italy redeemed themselves with an unchallenged 2-0 win over Malta. Attacker Mateo Retegui once again took center stage. The native Argentinian, who doesn’t speak Italian and was called up to the “Squadra Azzurra” by team manager Roberto Mancini at short notice, scored the lead after 15 minutes. The 23-year-old, whose grandfather is Italian, had already scored on his debut against England, in his first game ever on European soil. Retegui is currently on loan from Boca Juniors at Tigre, where he has scored six of his side’s eight goals in eight league games.