Cristiano Ronaldo will start Portugal’s final Group F match against Georgia at Euro 2024, coach Roberto Martinez said on Tuesday.
Veteran forward Ronaldo, 39, could become the oldest player to score at a European Championship during Wednesday’s match in Gelsenkirchen, after Croatia’s Luka Modric claimed the record on Monday night.
Ronaldo is yet to score at this Euros but did set up Bruno Fernandes in Portugal’s previous 3-0 win over Turkey, which sealed top spot in the group.
“I can tell you that the captain will be in the starting XI, he played one preparation game, he had a very good season and he has played a lot of minutes,” Martinez told reporters.
“It’s important to maintain his competitive standard because starting and stopping isn’t any good for you as a player.”
Martinez added that he hoped there would be no more pitch invaders trying to get at Ronaldo after a series of breaches of stadium security during Portugal’s win against Turkey last Saturday.
Ronaldo was initially amused when a young boy burst onto the field and grabbed a selfie with his idol but quickly got annoyed as a clutch of copycats managed to get on the pitch and harass him in the final minutes of the match.
“He’s been with the national team for over 20 years, he’s a very experienced player, he knows the kind of support the fans provide. Not just Portugal fans, football fans,” said Martinez.
“I hope there won’t be any pitch invasions because it’s dangerous and it’s not good for football. It’s the part of the game that we don’t want to see.”
Portugal might have already won Group F but their performance will make a difference to the final standings as bottom-team Georgia will reach the last 16 with a win.
