“No one believed in us,” Cristiano Ronaldo declared, his voice thick with emotion and tears welling in his eyes, eight years ago. “No one believed in Portugal.”
History books confirm Portugal’s victory at the 2016 European Championship, marking it as Ronaldo’s sole major international trophy to date, a distinction that remains for now and possibly beyond. As the legendary forward, now 39, gears up for Euro 2024 and Portugal’s Round of 16 encounter against Slovenia, it’s pertinent to revisit the unlikely journey of their 2016 campaign – a saga defined by a series of mishaps, near misses, and unconvincing form.
Indeed, as Ronaldo himself pointed out after Portugal’s 1-0 final victory over France, few had faith in their chances. And with good reason.
This wasn’t the Portugal squad of today, brimming with world-class talent to the extent that some question whether Ronaldo, despite his prolific scoring record for Al-Nassr, should even start. Even their recent defeat to Georgia in Euro 2024 group stage, while unexpected, was mitigated by the fact that qualification was already secured, leading to rested key players.
Back in Euro Cup Football 2016, skepticism surrounding Portugal was entirely justified. Their campaign was consistently plagued by issues from the outset.
Consider the incident where Ronaldo, displeased with a reporter’s questioning, infamously tossed the journalist’s microphone into a lake.
In their opening group stage match of Euro 2016, frustrated by Iceland’s defensive approach, Ronaldo launched into a dismissive tirade, labeling their mentality as “small” and predicting they “wouldn’t get anywhere.” Iceland, with a population of just 330,000, was the smallest nation ever to compete in a major tournament. Ironically, days later, Iceland stunned England, knocking them out to reach the quarter-finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo in action during a Euro 2016 match, highlighting his skill and determination.
Ronaldo’s frustrations continued as he missed a penalty against Austria in their second consecutive draw. The trend of adversity persisted in their third group game against Hungary, where Portugal fell behind three times. However, Ronaldo rediscovered his scoring touch, netting two crucial equalizers.
Euro 2016 was the first edition expanded to 24 teams, allowing third-placed teams to advance to the knockout stage, a rule change Portugal exploited to their advantage.
Under the guidance of coach Fernando Santos, Portugal’s journey to the title was anything but straightforward, yet it served as a significant validation of Ronaldo’s illustrious career.
However, statistically, Portugal was far from the dominant force of Euro Cup Football 2016. Remarkably, they won only one of their seven matches within regulation time – a 2-0 semi-final victory against Wales.
Their three group stage draws and third-place finish ironically placed them on a more favorable side of the knockout bracket, avoiding powerhouses like Spain, England, Germany, France, and Italy, who were all clustered on the other side. Even then, their path was fraught with difficulty. A 117th-minute extra-time goal by Ricardo Quaresma was required to overcome Croatia in the Round of 16, followed by a quarter-final against Poland that was decided by a penalty shootout after a hard-fought draw.
The drama wasn’t over. In the final against France, just nine minutes in, a collision with Dimitri Payet resulted in a knee injury for Ronaldo. He attempted to continue but was eventually forced off, becoming an emotional figure on the sidelines, cheering, coaching, and anxiously watching until the final whistle. Substitute Eder ultimately emerged as the hero, scoring the decisive goal in extra time.
But did any of these near-disasters matter when the celebrations began? Absolutely not.
“Very happy, very happy,” Ronaldo reiterated to reporters, his dream realized. “It was something I tried for so many times since 2004, praying that I would get one more opportunity. The Portuguese people needed it and the players needed it.”
“It is one of the happiest moments of my career. I won so many things with my club, individually. I always said that I wanted to win a championship with the Portugal team, to make history, And I won.”
Cristiano Ronaldo leading the Portugal team during Euro Cup Football 2016, showcasing his leadership and influence.
Now, as Portugal looks ahead to Euro 2024, there’s a quiet confidence, even after the somewhat concerning defeat to Georgia, despite squad rotation. Coach Roberto Martinez believes this setback, and a previous friendly loss to Slovenia, will serve as crucial wake-up calls, preventing complacency as they enter the knockout stages.
“This is not a friendly, it’s the knockout stage and it is very important for us,” Martinez stated. “Losing (against Georgia) will prepare our team better from a mental standpoint.”
Can Portugal channel adversity into another unexpected and glorious run, reminiscent of their Euro Cup Football 2016 fairytale? Time will tell, but the memory of their improbable triumph serves as a potent reminder that in football, and especially in the Euros, anything is possible.
