At 39 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo is dominating the headlines at this European Championship as much as ever. Instead of scoring goals, he has so far been shining with charity, and is even less able to escape the tributes. But the real stress test is yet to come.
In-demand superstar: Cristiano Ronaldo takes a selfie with a young streaker during the game against Turkey.
Michael Probst / AP
Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to score his first goals on the Dortmund subway on Saturday. His typical cry of joy, “Siiiiuuuuuu,” was repeated again and again amid general laughter, and increased everyone’s anticipation for the upcoming match between Portugal and Turkey. In the stadium, the first mention of his name by the announcer half an hour before kick-off sparked an overwhelming cacophony of whistles and applause. And when the match ended 3-0 to Portugal, a debate about his safety even broke out. Up to seven streakers ran onto the pitch during and after the match. All of them had Ronaldo’s goal close to their goal.
Which made it clear once again that “CR7” shapes football like no other. Still and also at this European Championship.
FIFA had already said goodbye
The Instagram world record holder (632 million fans) has been playing for al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia for a year and a half, and it was certainly exciting to see how the reunion with his home continent would go. He is now 39, playing in his sixth European Championship – a record, of course – and doing so in a Portuguese squad with considerable competition from the next generation.
At the last World Cup, the then national coach Fernando Santos put him on the bench in the round of 16 against Switzerland and was rewarded with a 6-1 win and three goals from the promoted Gonçalo Ramos. And when Portugal was eliminated in the following round against Morocco, the organizer FIFA released a farewell video with his best goals and the message: “Obrigado CR7”: Thank you CR7.
Farewell, him? Under Santos’ successor Roberto Martínez, Ronaldo has played the full 180 minutes at this European Championship. His biggest moment came against Turkey when he received the ball in the 56th minute while standing free in the penalty area. In front of him was only the goalkeeper and the goal, and next to him was his teammate Bruno Fernandes – one of those with whom there was apparently some tension in Qatar because the superstar brought his airs and graces and his anger with Manchester United to the Portuguese team. So Ronaldo, the goal, Fernandes – and the five-time world footballer actually took his leave.
Ronaldo has privileges removed
On the one hand, his assist was the most normal thing in the world, because Fernandes didn’t even have the goalkeeper in front of him and was able to relax and slot home the final score of 3-0. On the other hand, it was about Ronaldo, who holds all the goalscoring records on the planet (895 in total, 130 in international matches) because he never missed a chance, even when the score was 7-0 against Andorra. “We’re talking about someone who lives for goals,” Martínez later explained Ronaldo’s “spectacular” gesture: “This scene should be shown in every football academy in Portugal and around the world,” said the coach, because it symbolizes “that the team is the most important thing.”
Martínez was also so moved because the sequence brought the informal basic contract between Ronaldo and himself to life. When the Spaniard took over the “Seleção” at the beginning of 2023, many observers expected it to be the end for Ronaldo. Martínez is considered a modern, innovative concept coach, not a hero worshipper. But from day one he has relied firmly on Ronaldo and heaps praise on him at every opportunity. Conversely, he managed to get the star to withdraw his privileges. In the team hotel, Ronaldo is to forego the accommodation of even his closest advisors, unlike before. And on the pitch he puts his personal interests behind those of his highly talented team.
Ronaldo needs this deal because he is 39 years old. Despite his titanic efforts to take care of his body, he lacks the zip to make the difference individually like he did in his best days. And even his finishing hasn’t worked out so far at this European Championship. But even if he will never be a playmaker like his eternal rival Lionel Messi, he has amassed so much football intelligence in his 22 (!) years of career that he was often able to create gaps in the porous Turkish defense. Like the whole team, Ronaldo seemed more mobile than in the tough tournament opener against the Czech Republic (2:1). He was a good center forward in a good team, nothing more, nothing less.
The new Ronaldo collects sympathy points
And of course he is still Cristiano, the messiah of countless fans. Even at the public training session after Portugal’s arrival in Germany, there were tumultuous scenes in Marienfeld, Westphalia. Ronaldo hugged the first streaker, a 10-year-old fan, full of empathy. But when a man approached him later while he was defending a Turkish corner, Ronaldo began to ask for protection. “Today we were lucky, but you never know what the intentions of such people are,” coach Martínez later expressed concern. Teammate Bernardo Silva saw it less dramatically: “It’s a bit annoying when the game always has to be stopped,” he said. But he did not feel Ronaldo was in danger. “That’s the price you pay for being so highly valued in the world of football.”
Ronaldo takes a selfie with a 10-year-old streaker during the match against Turkey.
Youtube
There was certainly no shortage of tributes on Saturday. There was the little girl who adored him so much during the national anthems that Ronaldo couldn’t help but smile. There were all the banners telling him about CR7 tattoos or calling on him to move to Turkey. And for the Portuguese fans, his grandeur is non-negotiable anyway. “Cristiaaaano Ronaaaaldo” they chanted over and over again. When he put a dangerous shot just over the goal and when he miserably missed an excellent header. And especially after his great moment of charity with the pass to Fernandes.
The old Ronaldo is as famous as ever, the new one is eagerly collecting sympathy points. The knockout round will be the stress test for his role, for his altruism, for his nerves. But for now he can see himself as having reached a milestone. Anyone who knows his claim to eternity will suspect that in Germany he is also playing for his personal qualification for the 2026 World Cup. And despite all his nobility, he also gets something out of it. Thanks to his assist to Fernandes, the player with the most European Championship appearances (27) and goals (14) is now also the best assist provider (7) in the tournament’s history.
