WHEN Portugal faced Hungary in their opening match of Euro 2020 on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo kept doing what he does best — making history. The Portugal captain netted twice in the match, making him the leading scorer in the Championship’s history with 11 goals in a men’s record fifth tournament appearance. The 36-year-old Portugal captain overtook France great Michel Platini’s record of nine, all of which he scored in the 1984 tournament, with his first goal in a 3-0 win over Hungary when he converted a penalty kick in the 87th minute. He rifled the ball into the corner of the net and set off for one of his trademark celebrations, which drew plenty of whistles from 67,000 fans at the Puskas Stadium in Budapest. The Juventus forward then scored his second on a tap-in as full-time approached to notch up 11 goals in the competition, which overtook the records of Germany’s Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings, who both scored 10 at the women’s European Championship. The women’s tournament is scheduled every two years, compared with four years for the men’s equivalent. The striker took his tally to 106 goals in 176 appearances for Portugal, three fewer than Iranian Ali Daei’s men’s record of 109 international goals. The record is held by Christine Sinclair of Canada, with 186 goals. Ronaldo is the only man to score in five European Championship tournaments, extending his own record, who represented his country at Euro 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. “It was a very difficult game but we got three goals. It was vital to win and start the tournament with confidence and now we want to keep on winning,” said Ronaldo after Tuesday’s game. Portugal coach Fernando Santos added: “If we’d scored earlier it would have been easier for us. We missed a few chances then had some anxious moments but found our composure again and finished the game well.” Tuesday was cause for a double celebration for the Portugal talisman, who also set a men’s record for five Euros appearances. He first appeared at a European Championship in 2004 when he helped Portugal reach the final on home soil. He has played in every tournament since and scored in each. Spain’s Iker Casillas was part of five La Roja squads from 2000 to 2016 but did not play in two of the tournaments, making Ronaldo the first man to be selected and play in five European Championships. Italy’s Carolina Morace, who manages Lazio’s women’s team, holds the appearance record at the European Championships with six. “This is my fifth European Championship but for me it feels as though it’s my first,” Ronaldo said ahead of Tuesday’s game. There have been 17 men to appear at four European Championships, including Germany’s Lothar Matthaus and Denmark’s Peter Schmeichel. Ronaldo, the four-time Ballon d’Or winner, first appeared for Portugal at a major tournament in the opening game of Euro 2004, scoring a consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat to eventual winner Greece. Ronaldo also scored in the shootout win against Sven Goran Eriksson’s England, as Portugal finished runner-up of the competition. The 36-year-old has come a long way since his first showing at a major tournament, picking up accolade after accolade at the European Championships. Even when he had to be substituted after 25 minutes in the Euro 2016 final, Ronaldo kicked every ball from the sidelines and marshalled instructions to his teammates as Portugal won its first ever international tournament. Named three times in the UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament, the Portuguese marksman, who led Portugal to success at Euro 2016, broke another record by surpassing Spain duo Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas for most matches won in the tournament with 11. Following his appearance against Hungary, Ronaldo is three games from breaking the record of 58 appearances in European competition (qualifying phase and finals), held by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. “Players who have longevity in football are those who can adapt,” Ronaldo said of the secret behind his long and successful career. “The numbers speak for themselves: I have adapted from 18 to 36. I always work to achieve things on a personal and collective level.” Ronaldo completed his third season at Juve, scoring 36 goals in 44 appearances despite missing several games due to COVID-19. The former Real Madrid star was unable to help Juve go past the round of 16 of the Champions League and the Turin giant also failed to win the Serie A title, finishing fourth — 13 points behind Scudetto winner Inter Milan. Ronaldo has a year left on his contract with Juventus but has not committed to the side and is expected to decide his future after the tournament is over. Portugal also takes on France and Germany in Group F. Born in Portugal in a big family in 1985, Ronaldo has proven his worth among the star players and has played for the best teams in the world. He emerged from the streets of Madeira to take over the world of soccer. Ronaldo had a troubled childhood. The baby got his exotic name after Ronald Reagan, a former U. S. president and the favorite actor of his father. Ronaldo’s father worked as a gardener in the municipality, while his mother went to other homes to cook. Ronaldo is the youngest of one brother and two sisters. Ronaldo loved playing soccer since childhood. At the age of 8, he started playing soccer for a local team for the first time. He got a place in the World Under-17. After that he was also included in Portugal’s national team. Ronaldo’s studies broke at the age of 14. Ronaldo threw a chair at a teacher, after which he was expelled from school. At the age of 15, Ronaldo suffered from a serious illness, because of which his soccer career was also in danger. But he did not give up and recovered completely after surgery. He was selected to an international football team at 18. In 2003, the Manchester club added Ronaldo to his club for Rs 102 crore (US$17 million), making him the first Portuguese player to play for Manchester United. Ronaldo scored 84 goals while remaining attached to the Manchester club for six years. After this, in 2009, Spanish soccer club Real Madrid added Ronaldo to his club for Rs 850 crore. Ronaldo abstains from drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes, as his father died at the age of 52 due to alcohol addiction. He holds the record for scoring more than 50 goals every season for six consecutive years. One of the most richest footballers in the world, Ronaldo has scored 107 goals with his famous shot with the help of his head, out of which 65 goals have been scored for Real Madrid. This is also a record. (SD-Agencies) | 