Portugal's Jose Fonte: It's not easy being Cristiano Ronaldo

Jose Fonte has told the Daily Telegraph how inspirational it is to share a dressing-room with Cristiano Ronaldo, and sympathised with the cost of the Portugal captain's fame.

Fonte has known Ronaldo since their days at Sporting Lisbon as teenagers and the pair are now set to line up for Portugal against Poland in the first quarterfinal of Euro 2016.

The Southampton defender has watched Ronaldo develop into one of the best footballers in the world, but also one of the most scrutinised.

"You can't go anywhere; everyone knows him," Fonte said. "He is recognised worldwide and attracts so many millions of people. Everyone wants a piece of him.

It's difficult. He went through the different stages of fame. Friends who knew him before this, know what a good person he is. We know what he had to do to get to where he has and it's great to see how well he has done in life. It's not an easy situation to be in.

"People think sometimes it's great to be Cristiano. Obviously it has its ups but also the downs. He deals with it in a great manner. It is a privilege to be sharing the dressing room with him. He has been an inspiration to me.

"He's proved time and time again how good he is for [Real Madrid] and he is the best goal scorer in Portugal's history. We believe in him and we just need to make sure, with him, we can achieve what we want. We want to win it and we believe we can do it

RONALDO THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF FANS CHOOSING PLAYERS OVER TEAMS

The Real Madrid superstar is leading his country at the European Championships but the identity of the squad around him would appear to matter little to his army of fans

There is no I in Team – as the old saying goes – but that ceased to matter when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo emerged as the game’s chief proponents. Those two have contested an individual battle against each other for the best part of a decade with team clashes between Barcelona and Real Madrid at most a sub plot. We are living through a football age defined like no other by veneration of individuals.

Over the past 10 years football’s worldwide popularity has skyrocketed with Messi and Ronaldo at the forefront of public consciousness the world over. It is why the Ballon d’Or is now roughly equal to winning the Champions League in esteem. In years gone by, knowledgeable pundits would struggle to name three winners in a row. Now, there is a gala; football’s Oscars night. There is no missing it. That’s all down to Ronaldo and Messi, the standards they set on the field and the frenzy which has followed.

Access to games on TV has never been so broad and the time young people spend playing the FIFA video game gives them an affinity with a version of the best players that is not even real. Once upon a time the only live football a child saw would be local matches which a parent attended. That’s how their nascent loyalties were built. It doesn’t work like that anymore. It’s a big world out there and kids just getting into the game have every team and player to choose from.

Before European football went global – with the wealth and attention concentrated on a handful of clubs - fans loved players because they played for their team. That natural alignment is in the process of being subverted. Fans are drawn to teams because of the presence of certain individuals. Ronaldo, of course, is king among them

Why Cristiano Ronaldo divides opinion like no other athlete on planet

Forty-nine minutes into the Portugal vs Hungary game during the group stages, Joao Mario swung the ball in towards Cristiano Ronaldo, who was lurking in the box. Portugal were trailing Hungary 1-2 and staring at elimination.

Ronaldo had not had a good tournament thus far. He had missed a penalty. He had bungled free kicks, which he usually would have buried in his sleep. He had not scored for Portugal for over a year. Before the game, annoyed – as perhaps only he can be annoyed – at questions about his form, Ronaldo had thrown an inquisitive reporter’s microphone in to a lake. Ronaldo was under immense pressure.

The pass from Mario was over-weighted. It dropped awkwardly between Ronaldo’s feet. Lots of players would have struggled to get a decent touch on it. Ronaldo adjusted his body, held his balance and, using the heel of his right foot, flicked the ball in to the back of the net. It was audacious. It was breathtaking. It was the sort of thing that typifies Ronaldo.

Read | Euro 2016: Ronaldo vs Lewandowski as Portugal face Poland for semis berth

A few days before this goal, we saw the other sort of thing that typifies Ronaldo. After debutants Iceland drew 1-1 with mighty Portugal, Ronaldo said: “I thought they’d won the Euros the way they celebrated at the end. It was unbelievable. When they don’t try to play and just defend, defend, defend, this in my opinion shows a small mentality and they are not going to do anything in the competition.”

The remark was boorish, mean and in appalling taste. (Also not particularly clairvoyant given that Iceland are in the quarterfinals already.) The Iceland defender Kari Arnason, knowing full well exactly what riles Ronaldo the most, had the following riposte to make. “Obviously we’re not going to create as many chances as a fantastic team like Portugal but his comments are the reason why Messi is always going to be one step ahead of him. You wouldn’t expect Messi to say that

Poland vs Portugal preview: Time for Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski to rise to the occasion

The Wikipedia entry on the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo runs to 5,700 words. Put another way that is almost double the coverage given to the Wall Street Crash, the event that triggered the Great Depression and the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Now, however, the careers of the men who have shared the Ballon D’Or for the last eight years have diverged. After clipping his penalty over the bar in the final of the Copa America, Messi is no longer an international footballer. Ronaldo, two years older, is still standing. 

Their international careers demonstrate the validity of Sir Alex Ferguson’s remark that while Ronaldo could play for any team in the world, Messi could only play for Barcelona. In Munich, a decade ago, Ronaldo was playing France in a World Cup semi-final. It had been billed as Portugal v France but to those in the Allianz Arena there appeared only one possible way Portugal would reach the final.

Ronaldo, who had scored the penalty that had eliminated England in the quarter-final, attempted everything he knew to break down France’s defence. It was not enough but he was then 21 years old.

Sleeping With Cristiano Ronaldo: The Soccer Superstar Launches a Line of Boutique Hotels

Legendary Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has invested more than $40 million into a range of hotels in Madeira, Lisbon, Madrid and New York called CR7 after his successful underwear, footwear and fragrance companies.

The joint venture, which is co-owned by both Ronaldo and Pestana Hotels, will be managed by The Pestana Hotel Group and will be located in four spectacular destinations; Lisbon (in the Historic Downtown), Madrid (on the Gran Vía) Madeira Funchal (fronting the Cruise Harbor) and New York (steps from Times Square).

Dionísio Pestana, owner and chairman of Pestana Hotel Group, and Cristiano Ronaldo were both born and raised in Madeira, and their professional relationship is based on years of friendship.

The first hotel opens this weekend on the island of Madeira, southwest of Portugal. Lisbon will open in August, with a New York Times NYT +1.80% Square location in 2017, and a Madrid hotel scheduled to open on the cities most famous shopping street in 2019. Despite press reports, he did not buy a hotel in Monte Carlo with Donald Trump and will focus on the New York property opening for next year.

Ronaldo is excited about his new hospitality venture and says, ”My job is to play football, but life won’t always be like this. I have to dedicate myself to this new project and I have the best team in the world around me. I am young but I feel very fulfilled so this project is exciting for me. I’m thinking about my future, and my son and my family.”

HATE RONALDO ALL YOU WANT BUT HE WOULD NEVER QUIT LIKE MESSI

The outgoing Argentina captain declared the national team "wasn't for him" after failing from the penalty spot against Chile and despite all his hardships and disappointments with Portugal, Ronaldo is still there

Lionel Messi retiring from international football could be just the boost Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal needed in their quest for a first-ever senior trophy at Euro 2016. It’s no secret that the individual rivalry motivates Ronaldo; indeed fans here in France and all over the world have taunted the three-time Ballon d’Or winner with chants of “Messi, Messi, Messi” in full knowledge that it rankles. Messi departs the Argentina scene without having won a senior title and now Ronaldo knows he has a chance to do something his great adversary never will – lead his nation to glory.

Messi could never replace Diego Maradona in the hearts of Argentines and could only have done one thing to equal him – win the World Cup. Whatever the Champions Leagues, whatever the Ballons d’Or, only the sight of Messi holding aloft the World Cup trophy would have convinced Argentina to give their love to Messi like they had to Maradona. Argentina recognises that Messi is the greatest player in the world - and is proud of that fact – but the feeling persists that he is not truly theirs and - for the national team - his heart was just not in it.

Jose Fonte: 'We believe in Cristiano Ronaldo and with him Portugal can win Euro 2016'

Jose Fonte was 13 when Cristiano Ronaldo first walked through the dressing-room door at Sporting Lisbon and it was soon evident that someone special had arrived. “I just remember him doing push-ups in the shower,” says Fonte, smiling.

“He would say to everyone, ‘I will do more push-ups than you in the shower after training’. And he would. He would do more than everyone. It showed how competitive he is. He was so far ahead of everyone.”

With perhaps one obvious exception, not much has changed. Fonte would happily admit that his near 20-year friendship makes him a slightly biased witness but he still thinks Ronaldo remains far ahead of everyone, including even Lionel Messi.

“I love Messi but Ronaldo is Ronaldo,” he says. “He was only young and I saw him millions of times in the gym, after training, when everyone else had gone home trying to get stronger, trying to be quicker. His work ethic and desire to be the best is unmatchable.” 

Fonte is again expected to start on Thursday against Poland for a Portugal team that is aiming for their fourth European Championship semi-final since 2000 but, as ever, the focus will largely settle on one man.

For the sixth year in succession, Ronaldo has just finished a season with more than 50 goals. He also scored the winning penalty to secure a third Champions League title and, while Fonte might simply see a team-mate he has known since their teenage years, the reminders of his elevation to global icon are constant.

Even during our interview, Fonte is approached not for an autograph himself but for someone wanting him to get a ball signed by Ronaldo for a charity.

Portugal Team

Ronaldo selfless in victory vs Croatia

Portugal maintained their record of making it to the quarterfinals or better of every European Championship they have competed in as a dramatic late winner by Ricardo Quaresma edged out Croatia in Lens.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos made some surprise changes to the team, with three of the back four changed in relation to the Hungary match, while Adrien Silva was given his first taste of tournament football, and in the starting XI no less.

An intense tactical battle with few chances ensued, and Portugal enjoyed the stroke of fortune so patently missing in the group phase, as Croatia missed the best of the opportunities and hit the post moments before a superb breakaway goal in the 117th minute earned A Selecao their place in the last eight.

FW Cristiano Ronaldo, 7 -- A selfless performance from the captain, going completely against the popular narrative that he plays only for himself and not the team. Despite the fact that the passing lanes to him from Portugal's midfield were effectively cut off by Croatia, he never stopped battling, tracking back throughout the match. Started the match-winning move by finding Renato Sanches with a pass in Portugal's defensive third, before sprinting up field to strike the shot that would lead to Quaresma's goal on the follow-up.

Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo singlehandedly dragging their teams into quarter-finals at Euro 2016

PARIS — Two goals, a two-hour drive apart, orchestrated by two world class players who continue to carry their teams at Euro 2016.

How far can Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale guide Portugal and Wales, respectively? The talent around them has proven substandard, to say the least.

The football inside Parc des Princes, where Wales topped Northern Ireland 1-0 Saturday night, was of the lowest quality we’ve seen at this tournament.

Completed passes were at a premium in arguably the most drab fixture we’ve ever seen at a modern European Championship.

Bale took it upon himself midway through the second half to whip in a world class cross that saw Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley put it into his own goal.

It was nothing new for Bale, who continues to go about it alone. It’s becoming quite clear to everyone watching this competition that he’s one of the few players at this tournament capable of winning a game on his own.

Looking back over this Euro, Bale’s free kicks against Slovakia and England opened the scoring in those fixtures before his game-clincher against Russia sealed it. He’s literally been a one-man show.

It didn’t matter that Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill asked his players to double- and triple-team Bale whenever he was on the ball. Bale has shown throughout this tournament he’s capable of carrying a pedestrian Welsh side deep into this competition.

Like any world class attacker, he needed just one moment to exploit the space that opened up along the left edge of the area before providing the exquisite service that produced the only moment that mattered in a game that featured few opportunities.

“It was an amazing experience, one I won’t forget,” Bale said of advancing. “Our ambition is to keep fighting and keep trying to win every game we play. We’ll keep trying to do that.”

To the east of here in Lens, the two teams on display weren’t much better. Billed as the best matchup of the second round, Portugal-Croatia was void of goal-scoring chances and rhythm.

In similar fashion, though, the best player on the pitch popped up after an otherwise 

quiet 90 minutes. Since being lambasted following a Matchday 1 draw with Iceland, Ronaldo has been magnificent.

He’s single-handedly kept Portugal in this competition. That trend continued Saturday night when he started the play that led to Ricardo Quaresma’s extra-time tally in a 1-0 win over dark horse Croatia.

Ronaldo touched the ball twice in the game-defining sequence — once near his own penalty before producing the shot that sat up for Quaresma to score into an open goal with minutes remaining.

He won’t receive credit for anything other than having the touch before the finish, but Ronaldo’s work rate once again exemplified how much he wants to get his side to another European final.

That Portugal have drawn a navigable path to the semifinals made Saturday night’s victory all the more crucial. They won’t face a better side en route the July 10 final.

“Sometimes we have to be pragmatic in order to win,” Portugal manager Fernando Santos said. “For the fans and the analysts and the pundits, sometimes we’d like to play pretty, but that’s not always how you win tournaments.”

They’ll have to be sharper to unlock Poland in the quarter-finals later this week. The Poles have proven to be one of the best defensive sides at this tournament, conceding just once in four fixtures, including Saturday’s win over Switzerland.

The Welsh, meanwhile, won’t face a side with less attacking talent than Northern Ireland, who produced just four shots on target through its final two matches before exiting the Euros.

Still, the fact Wales needed Bale to once again provide the magic has to be a concern considering they could meet Belgium in their next game.

“I can’t choose (who we’ll face),” Bale said post-game. “One of them (Belgium or Hungary) has to win. We’ve got one or the other. Hungary have been very good this tournament.

“We know a bit more about Belgium. We had them in our qualifying group. Either way, it’s going to be difficult. You don’t get to the quarter-finals of a major tournament by luck. No matter who we get we know it’s going to be a difficult game and we’ll be ready for it.”

And by we, he means him. Like his Real Madrid teammate, Bale is the one player who gives his team hope of advancement.

As soon as one or both of them don’t turn up, their respective teams will stop advancing.

Jolly: Ronaldo vs Bale for Ballon d'or

They were similar interventions, crucial contributions to rescue wretched games. They were separated by four hours and about 200 kilometres. They both featured men who are more accustomed to scoring goals than supplying them.

Gareth Bale's cross was turned into the Northern Ireland net by the unfortunate Gareth McAuley. Cristiano Ronaldo's shot gave Ricardo Quaresma an open goal. Wales and Portugal are Euro 2016 quarterfinalists, thanks to theirGalacticos.

The Real Madrid colleagues may have been equals on Saturday, but they are shaping up as rivals. Not just because their countries could meet in next week's semifinals either, or because both are contenders to leave Euro 2016 with the Golden Boot in their luggage; theirs is a contest that may not conclude for another six months.

The Welshman is mounting a stealth challenge for the Ballon d'Or. Bale, though he is seemingly unconcerned by such matters and maybe unaware of them. Ronaldo surely is aware but, far from being measured against Lionel Messi, the risk now is that he is demoted to secondary status at Real Madrid.

It may be an exaggeration -- or too early -- to say Bale and Ronaldo are the front-runners for the game's greatest individual prize, especially when the man many consider the greatest of all time is making a case for himself: Messi's Copa America excellence, along with admiration for his remarkable ability, could yet propel him to a sixth crown.

Yet the reality is that neither Messi nor Ronaldo has ever won the Ballon d'Or in a season when the other has won the Champions League. The electorate -- the coaches and the captains of the national teams and the representatives of the international media -- place a weight by conquering Europe with a club. Not since 2010, when Andres Iniesta was the runner-up to Messi, has a winner of a World Cup, a European Championship or a Copa America even come second.

So Argentina's exploits may count for little. So too, might those of, say, Paul Pogba, Thomas Muller or Iniesta, if they should inspire their country to Euro 2016 glory. Real's record 11th Champions League crown, on the other hand, assumes an importance. But so, too, do the fortunes of their two leading men.

Bale cannot rival Ronaldo's statistical supremacy. The Portuguese scored 51 goals last season; the Welshman had 19, even if he suffered from an injury-hit campaign and is rarely afforded the chance to inflate his figures by taking Real's free kicks and penalties. His case rests with the quality, not quantity, of his involvement.

Ronaldo, with 16, was the Champions League's top scorer, but Bale contributed more at the business end of the competition. The only goal in the semifinal win over Manchester City was eventually debited to Fernando, but it had initially been credited to Bale.

The Welshman played a pivotal part in taking Real to Milan and a much more prominent role than his semi-fit Portuguese teammate in the final. Bale was responsible for the assist to Sergio Ramos' goal. While Ronaldo ensured the abiding images of Real's triumph centred on him by scoring the decisive fifth penalty, Bale had also converted his spot kick.

Advantage Bale on the big stage? If so, Euro 2016 may solidify that impression. He has outscored Ronaldo, three to two and, unlike his shot-happy teammate, has had a positive impact in every game. Bale's free kicks have gone in. The Portuguese's have flown everywhere except the net.

Ronaldo has had a contentious campaign, his struggles notable for a sense of schadenfreude and hubristic gloating. He may have cost himself the votes of the Icelandic delegation with his graceless criticism of the minnows after they held Portugal to one goal. Ronaldo feels a man at war with himself, his teammates, opponents and television microphones alike.

Bale has enjoyed an uplifting few weeks, which could reinforce ideas that he is a difference-maker. Wales are making history. Their first major tournament for 58 years will go down as a success; reach the last four and it will be their most successful ever.

Portugal could exit earlier than in the 2004 and 2012 European Championships, when they were finalists and semifinalists respectively. One is a story of overachievement with a pronounced feelgood factor, the other of a frenzied attempt to stave off regression.

It will be an instructive if there is a backlash against Ronaldo and if the romance of Wales' rise benefits Bale. Certainly Bale's less obviously egotistical persona may aid his cause. Football is a team game, Bale appears more of a team player and the unity in the Welsh camp is obvious. There were no recriminations from their marquee player when England earned a late victory against them.

Ronaldo's reaction when Hungary scored their third goal against Portugal was that of a man who looked as though he felt his colleagues were betraying him, even if his response thereafter -- delivering his second equaliser -- was admirable.

Croatia focused on limiting Ronaldo damage

Croatia will be focusing on containing Cristiano Ronaldo as well as bidding to score a first ever goal against Portugal when they meet in the last 16 at Euro 2016 this evening, coach Ante Cacic said.

Croatia beat holders Spain to win Group D and their reward is a tough game against a Portuguese side that struggled to third place in Group F despite having three-times world player of the year Ronaldo in their ranks.

"Ronaldo is their main player, so what we have to do tomorrow is not to allow him to show how strong he is, we have to limit him," Cacic told a news conference.

Their third place was not representative of the way they played. They had three draws but they were much better than that

The 62-year-old is not reading too much into Portugal's performance in the group stage.

"Their third place was not representative of the way they played. They had three draws but they were much better than that, they were really close to winning," he said.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos dismissed talk of his side being a one-man side.

"Without a team, there are no great players. Individual talent may win a match here or there, but great tournaments are won by great teams," he said.

"It's normal, they will try to cancel him out. Sometimes the Portuguese try to downplay him, say he's not scoring, he's playing poorly.

"I'm sure my counterpart has prepared his team to play Portugal and all the positive things that Portugal has, be they collective or individual."

Dead-ball specialist Ronaldo has not had much success from set pieces at Euro 2016, even missing a late penalty against Austria, but Santos has no intention of handing those duties to anyone else.

"Any team in football has alternatives, a plan A and a plan B, but that's not the issue. A player can fail to score or fail to take free kicks or fail to take corners - are you going to change everything and hope for a miracle?,"

Croatia midfielder Milan Badejl told reporters his side can break their duck against a Portuguese team that is the only side in the last 16 not to have a victory at Euro 2016 under their belt.

"We will try to score tomorrow. That's the only way to win these matches," he told reporters.

Badelj warned his team about under-estimating the Portuguese and being blinded by Ronaldo's star quality.

"Ronaldo is a great player, everyone knows every thing about him. It's not only Ronaldo, they have other great players that can be decisive tomorrow," he said.

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Carlo Ancelotti: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is 'a pleasure to manage'

Carlo Ancelotti has described Cristiano Ronaldo as a leader and someone who cares about the team following a series of incidents at the European Championship that have reflected badly on the Portugal captain.

After their opening game, a 1-1 draw with Iceland in which he failed to score, Ronaldo accused Portugal's opponents of being "lucky" and "small" and his frustrations continued as he missed a penalty and had a goal ruled out for offside in the goalless draw with Austria.

Ahead of Portugal's final Group F match against Hungary, a 3-3 draw in which Ronaldo opened his Euro 2016 account with two goals, the player took umbrage at a reporter's line of questioning and threw his microphone into a lake.

But Ancelotti, who managed Ronaldo for two seasons at Real Madrid and won the club's 10th European Cup with him, presented an alternative take on the 31-year-old in his column for the Daily Telegraph.

He said: "You see a different kind of Cristiano Ronaldo when you are the manager of his team. The rest of the world has become obsessed with the image and the look of the man, or how he celebrates when he scores, or how he reacts when things go wrong. I just saw a guy who always wanted to do his best.

"Ronaldo cared about the team. He liked to be with his teammates after the game had finished and talk through what had happened -- what had gone well, what had been not so good. He also liked to joke, too. We had a lot of fun over those two years. Even when you play for Real Madrid, and even when the world expects you to score every game, that does not mean that you can't have a joke sometimes."

Ancelotti continued: "He is a pleasure to manage. We all know about the work he puts in to be so strong and his perfectionism on the training ground when it comes to technique. He also understands that a lot about being a top footballer, with the demands of the modern game, is about recovery. It is what you do in between the games that counts for so much. He would talk to our medical staff all the time, he would try to figure out what he needed."

Of Ronaldo's relationship with Barcelona rival Lionel Messi, Ancelotti believes the pair have pushed one another to achieve greatness through their competitive spirit.

He said: "I always get asked about Lionel Messi and how Cristiano regards him. The truth is, we did not spend all our days at Madrid talking about Messi.

"Cristiano respects Messi; he respects him a lot. In a way I think they need one another. Each one pushes the other to new heights, to new records of goalscoring. Ronaldo signed for Manchester United in 2003 and played his first international tournament in 2004. Twelve years on he is still the biggest European star. That's incredible.

"Were it not for the other, one of Cristiano or Messi would probably have won the Ballon d'Or eight times, rather than three for one and five for the other. Or perhaps they would not have flown so high without the other pushing them on. As a manager it was a pleasure to be in charge of Ronaldo."

Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Portugal to final of Euro 2016, says Nani

Cristiano Ronaldo has answered his critics again and will embark on a goalscoring run that can lead Portugal to the European Championship final, according to his international strike partner Nani.

The Portugal captain scored twice and produced one assist to save his country from a group stage exit three times against Hungary on Thursday. In doing so, the 31-year-old became the first player to score at four consecutive European Championships and, on the day he became the competition’s record appearance holder, took his international tally to 60 goals in 129 games. His past 29 matches for Portugal have yielded 23 goals.

Ronaldo came into the Hungary game under intense scrutiny following a problematic start to the Euros on and off the pitch. Having registered his first goals in a convincing individual display, however, his former Manchester United team-mate Nani believes the three-times world player of the year will maintain that form for the remainder of the tournament.

Nani, set to make his 100th appearance for Portugal against Croatia on Saturday, said: “Everyone knows Cristiano and what he can do at any time, in any minute in a game. I am 100% sure he will go on and score more goals now. Of course he can. No one can say anything against him. He is a fantastic player. Every time he is faced with difficult moments. He showed it again against Hungary when everyone was talking about him – he has shut them all up now.”

Fernando Santos, the Portugal coach, said his team were unconvincing in the final third against Iceland and Austria but Nani insisted Ronaldo’s influence is not measured by goals alone.

“I think Cristiano has always been there, always playing well for us throughout the tournament,” the Fenerbahce forward said. “It doesn’t mean that when he is not scoring, he is not playing well. The whole team has been. We had two great performances in our other games as well but we promised we’d score againstHungary and we have got three so I am very pleased.

Obviously I am disappointed that we conceded three but we were a bit unlucky with the bounce on two of them. So we’re happy, we’re in the next stage, we will focus on that and keep believing we can reach our targets.”

Portugal would have secured second place in Group F and a last-16 date with England but for Iceland’s stoppage-time winner over Austria. But third place after three draws in the group stage has presented Santos’s team with the more daunting assignment of facing the Group D winners, Croatia, in Lens.

Nani said: “To tell you the truth, before we came here we said our ambitions were very high. We said we wanted to win this competition. Any team we play, we must believe we can win so it doesn’t matter who we will face now. It will be difficult against Croatia. They have one day more than us to rest but we are professional, so we will get a quick rest and prepare for the game.”

Nani has scored twice for Portugal at the Euros and, despite remaining on the receiving end of frequent rollickings from Ronaldo, has been a valuable outlet. “Every time I play for the national team I have done my best, I always will try to help,” he said. “Sometimes I’m better than others; sometimes I play well, others not so. That’s how it is. At moment I am doing well and am very pleased with that. I hope I can carry on with that.”

Six of Cristiano Ronaldo’s best scoring records

THREE-TIME world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo made new football history by becoming the first player to score in four European Championship finals. Here are six of the Real Madrid star’s numerous scoring records:

- Goals in four European Championship finals Ronaldo is now bearing down on French legend Michel Platini, just one off his record mark of nine goals in Euros finals.

The former Manchester United man scored twice as Portugal reached the final on home soil in 2004, just once in a disappointing quarter-final exit in 2008 and three times as A Seleccao were knocked out on penalties in the semi-finals by Spain four years ago.

- Real Madrid’s all-time top-scorer Ronaldo’s insatiable need to find the net has already fired him into the history books of the self-styled biggest club in world football.

A remarkable strike rate of 364 goals for Los Blancos in just 348 games means Ronaldo smashed previous record holder Raul’s 323-goal mark having played over 400 fewer matches.

- Top scorer in single season in Champions League Ronaldo failed to better his own record mark of 17 in a Champions League season despite hitting the winning penalty as Real won their 11th European Cup against rivals Atletico Madrid in Milan last month. Shootout penalties do not count in the season tally.

He set the record on home soil two years ago, also from the penalty spot, as Real saw off Atletico 4-1 after extra-time.