Roberto Martinez is daring to dream as Portugal prepare to open their Euro 2024 campaign, where ageing star Cristiano Ronaldo has been selected "on merit". (More Football News)
Portugal are the f🎐avourites to top Group F in Germany, opening their tournament against Czechia on Tuesday b🎃efore facing Turkiye and Georgia.
Martinez's side were the only team to win 100 per cent of their games in the qualifying campaign (10/10), while they also scored༒ more goals than any other team (36).
The former Belgium manager has major-tournament pedigree, too, guiding the Red Devils to thir𒉰d place at the 2018 World Cup and quarter-finals at Euro 2020.
Going further on thi💃s occasion remains at the forefront of t💧he Spaniard's mind.
"We m🅺ust believe, we need 🅰to dream big," the Portugal head coach said at Monday's pre-match press conference.
"If we don't dre💟am big, then it will be tough. But we also owe it to everyone to🉐 play well.
"Tomorrow will be the right time to show that we're ready,🌌 that we can meet all the expectations.
"I brought seven shirts, not three. But now we need to put it all out therܫe on the pitch for thꦆese first three matches."
Portugal have the likes of Joao Feli♎x, Diogo Jota and Goncalo Ramos to call upon in attack, though a fami🌱liar face remains in Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner holds the record for 𝔍most games (25), most goals (♔14), joint-most assists on record (six – since 1972) and most editions with at least one goal (five) at the Euros.
Indeed, since 1972, Ronaldo has scored/assisted twi🌠ce as many goals as any other player a🦹t this tournament: 20 in total (14 goals, six assists). Michel Platini is second on 10 (nine goals, one assist).
Ronaldo is a💝lso the European playe༒r with the most appearances at major tournaments, World Cup and Euros combined (47), therefore his inclusion is hardly a surprise.
"Cristiano is in the national team on merit," Martinez added. "Nobody gets into the national team🦄 just by having a nam🔜e.
"🎃Cristiano scoredℱ 51 goals in 50 games [for Al-Nassr last season].
"For us he is a goalscorer, someone who can make that final 💝move, someone who can really stretch defenders, really open spaces.
"Obviously, over t🐭he years Cristiano has changed his way of playing slightly, but I can only say that Cristiano is in the national team on merit and the numbers are there to back that up."
Ruben Dias says Ronaldo's influence spansꦦ further than his influence on the pitch, however.
"I would say he represents inꦫspiration, he represents tha🌠t everything is possible, he represents that you can dream and you can achieve it," the Manchester City defender said.
"It's obviously a pleasure to have him with us in this moment of his career. He🌸 represents to us that he really wants to win again and he's our captain and obviously we follow him to the end."
