World Soccer Presents - Rise of Ronaldo (2022)

a kneeinjury sustainedafterDimitri

Payet’s heavychallenge,heleftthe

pitchearlyinthefinalintears,butit

didnottakelongfor himtopullhims

• andtheteam–together. CedricSo

Ronaldowasasighttobehold

thereafter,hobblingonthe

touchline,cajolingevery

lastounceofeffortfrom

histeam-matesasan

impromptuassistantcoach,onceand

foralldispellingthenotionthathe

isonlyinterestedinpersonalglory.

Althoughtherewassomeopti

surroundingthenationalteambefo

namentbegan,therewas

littlerealconvictionthatRonaldoand

Co.couldactuallygoall thewayand

winit.

Thatenthusiasmwas basedona

quantity of giftedplayersinthe 18- 24

agegroup,withaglutofexceptional

talentsmakinga nameforthemselves

athomeandabroad.

Now,withafirst trophyinthecabinet,

somearegoingsofaras tosaythat

PortugalcanemulateSpain,whoafter

makingthebreakthroughbywinning

Euro 2008 wentontodominate

internationalfootballfor sixyears.

Itmay bea littlefancifultoexpect

somuch,butwhenoneremembers

thatplayersofthecalibreof Bernardo

Silva andRubenNeves didnoteven

maketheEuro 2016 squad,andwith

thenationalteamcontinuallythrivingat

youthlevels,itisnotunreasonable

toexpecttheSelecaotobeatthe

businessendoftournaments

fortheforeseeablefuture.

“Ronaldogaveastirring

half-timespeechto

theplayersinthe

changingroom”

RISEOFRON 65