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Cristiano Ronaldo sets a record with his 6 participation in the championship with the Portuguese national team, while the Portuguese will play the first match in Group F against the Czech Republic.
Ronaldo started with the Portuguese national team in "EURO 2004", where he made 6 appearances, scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists.
CR7 predictably marked his major tournament debut with a 90th-minute goal despite appearing as one of Luiz Felipe Scolari's first-half changes in Portugal's opener against Greece.
Portugal would go on to win every match until the final, including an 8–7 penalty shootout against England. They became the first host nation to reach the European Championship final since 1984, but heartbreak was close at hand.
Greece achieved a shock victory after a 24-year absence from the competition.
In "EURO 2008", Ronaldo reaches his peak
Expectations couldn't have been higher for Ronaldo in 2008. He came into the tournament as PFA Player of the Year, winner of the Premier League Golden Boot - with 31 goals in 34 Premier League games - and a Champions League winner. League and Premier League, to go on to win his first Ballon d'Or.
The Portugal team was definitely even better than in previous years, despite good performances in both the 2006 World Cup and EURO 2004. But all eyes were on the world's greatest player, who was sure to lead his country to glory.
Ronaldo started Portugal's first two group games against Turkey and the Czech Republic, providing a goal and two assists in the latter. Those two comfortable wins allowed the entire starting XI to be rested in the final game against Switzerland.
However, a difficult draw against Germany ended Portugal and Ronaldo's campaign before it had really begun. Despite an electrifying performance in which Ronaldo created Portugal's first goal and came close on several occasions, Joachim Loew's side edged past Portugal and advanced to the semi-finals.
Is he really the best? Can he only win for club and not country? Is he a luxury player? Questions were raised about Ronaldo and criticism was plentiful. The disappointment marred what was another legendary season.
"EURO 2012": Commander-in-Chief
Taking over as Portugal captain after a disappointing 2008, Ronaldo became the team's leader as well as its best player.
Ronaldo completed his long-awaited move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 and Portugal had failed at the 2010 World Cup, losing to Iberian neighbors and eventual champions Spain in the last 16.
Coming to "EURO 2012", there was no doubt about Christiano's talent. His individual accolades were many and impressive, but could he lead a team all the way? Can he lead the national team and pull them over the line?
After losing 1-0 to Germany, Portugal won their last two group games against Denmark and the Netherlands, with an impressive brace from Ronaldo securing their qualification. A powerful header past Czech Republic goalkeeper Peter Čech later and Portugal into the semi-finals.
But Portugal failed once again. Portugal's merciless neighbors eliminated them once again, this time on penalties. Ronaldo missed a penalty with the decision to wait for the fifth, and often decisive, penalty.
Another disappointment. Ronaldo had won the armband, was Portugal's best player, scored important goals and yet had nothing to show for it. Would this be the story of his international career?
"EURO 2016": Winner
When Ronaldo finally decides to hang up his boots, he will be remembered for his goals, his celebrations, his attitude… and also for being a winner. The disappointment at EURO 2012 ignited a fire in Ronaldo and a run of four Ballon d'Ors in five years was followed by two Champions League trophies.
However, this coincided with a period of failure for the Portuguese national team. Failure to qualify from a fairly straightforward group for the 2014 World Cup was a disaster.
They followed that up with three straight draws at the start of EURO 2016, failing to register a single win in a group that included Iceland, Hungary and Austria.
Portugal went into the last 16 as the third-seeded side thanks to Ronaldo's brace against Hungary, but hopes of winning a first major trophy looked delusional.
In both the round of 16 and the quarter-finals, the score at the end of 90 minutes remained level for Portugal, with Ricardo Quaresma's 117th-minute winner, courtesy of an assist from Ronaldo and a penalty kick, the decisive factors theirs against Croatia and Poland.
Somehow Portugal were in the semi-finals.
Finally, a convincing 2-0 win against Wales, in which Ronaldo scored and featured heavily, took Portugal to the final.
Only the hosts and the favourites, France, remained. And disaster struck early. A hasty, and possibly on-target, foul by West Ham's Dimitri Pajet left Ronaldo stranded and eventually substituted in the 25th minute. Surely that was it.
Eder, a substitute, fired home from 25 yards to give Portugal their first major trophy with Ronaldo celebrating wildly from the bench.
In an unusual way, Ronaldo was now a European champion in every sense of the word.
"EURO 2020": The last beginning
Ghost stadiums aside, the delayed EURO 2020 competition – held in 2021 – was an individual success for Ronaldo and a disappointment for the team.
Shortly after the success of "EURO 2016", Ronaldo won his last Ballon d'Or in 2017, as well as two more Champions Leagues and a La Liga title before the next European. After a narrow 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup, in which Ronaldo again failed to score in the knockout stage, he made the successful move to sign for Juventus in Italy.
Despite the criticism, they won Serie A twice and the Coppa Italia, while Ronaldo set his record by winning a fifth Championship, in 5 different countries. No player had played more. An atmosphere of finality followed the Portugal camp.
Drawn in the "Group of Death" of the tournament, Portugal had to fight with France and Germany for qualification to the knockout stage. Prolifically, Ronaldo scored twice in a 3-0 win over Hungary, once in a 4-2 defeat to Germany and twice again in a 2-2 draw with France, qualifying Portugal as third-placed higher.
They were waiting for the Belgian team in the 16th.
After an early exit from the tournament and with questions swirling over his future in Italy, many saw this as the beginning of the end for one of football's all-time greats. How much longer could it really go?
"EURO 2024": It is no longer in the center of attention
For the first time in his career, Ronaldo is not the main event. The quick Jude Bellingham-David Beckham parallels from underwear modeling campaigns and Adidas advertising magic have made Belingham stratospheric. French phenom Kylian Mbappe is a global superstar, now plunging into the treacherous waters of political commentary. People really don't seem to be talking about Ronaldo.
Newly appointed Portugal coach Roberto Martínez paid Ronaldo a visit in Saudi Arabia after his appointment, seeking clarification on whether he was ready. Martinez was met with an emphatic affirmation.
After former coach Fernando Santos deemed team cohesion more important than the power of big names, Ronaldo was benched for Portugal's attack in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Many would see this as an indication that the father of time had finally brought the seemingly evergreen super-athlete under control.
A qualifying campaign in which he scored 10 goals in nine appearances, and Portugal won every match, shows that his time is not yet over.
Ronaldo can still start, but there will be obvious signs of his age. He won't be as nimble or fast. With the impressive depth of creativity in Portugal's squad, this tournament will be all about scoring goals for Ronaldo. And he knows better than anyone.
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