As the domestic campaign concludes, all eyes now turn to international action. Concerning Europe, some intriguing friendlies are set to kick off, with today’s fixture between Portugal and Ireland being one of the key games. This match serves as a pre-warm-up game for Os Navegadores ahead of the upcoming 2024 Euros. However, the biggest question on fans’ minds is whether Cristiano Ronaldo will play tonight.
Tonight’s match will also mark the final friendly before Roberto Martinez’s side embarks on their group stage journey of the European competition on June 19. Hence, we can expect Cristiano Ronaldo to feature against Ireland. However, due to potential injury concerns, the Al Nassr star won’t be risked for more than an hour, and Martinez may even sub him off before the second half begins. Yet, this action would be enough for him to warm up his goal-scoring muscle memory to put Portugal in cruise control for the latter half of the game.
His presence is quite likely, considering he hasn’t featured in a friendly since concluding his domestic season and reuniting with the national setup. The team captain was absent from the last game against Croatia, which the 2016 champions lost 1-2. Ronaldo also missed the Finland clash on June 5 as he was yet to recover from the heartbreaking loss in the Kings Cup of Champions at the hands of Al Hilal on May 31. Therefore, a small break to recharge was needed, leading Roberto Martinez to delay his call-up.
But now, the legendary striker looks set for the clash. There are also no major injury concerns surrounding CR7, providing significant relief. That said, the million-dollar question remains whether Ronaldo will bring the Euro trophy back to his country.
A quick look at Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. before they take the EURO 2024 challenge
Portugal is drawn in Group F alongside Turkey, Georgia, and the Czech Republic. They will open their tournament by locking horns with the Czech Republic on June 19. Turkey will be the second challenge on June 22, with Georgia being the final rival five days later. While predicting the form of other sides is premature, at least two victories are advised for Os Navegadores to qualify for the next stage of the competition.
As for the group that Cristiano Ronaldo has behind him, Roberto Martinez announced a pretty solid 26-man roster. The Al Nassr forward is surrounded by talented names like Goncalo Ramos, Rafael Leao, and Francisco Conceicao, while obvious names like Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Neves are also at his disposal. Ronaldo isn’t the oldest, as 41-year-old Pepe will be seen in Portugal’s backline.
Considering their group and the team, Portugal shouldn’t face any challenges at least until the knockout stages. Until then, Roberto Martinez’s side must keep their preparations tight if they wish to bring home the trophy.
