Ronaldo believes Portugal will win ´dream´ Euro 2016 final
Cristiano Ronaldo says Portugal’s progression to the final of Euro 2016 is the stuff of dreams and he believes his team will go on to win against France or Germany.
The Real Madrid attacker’s thumping header and Nani’s sliding effort in the space of three second-half minutes made the difference as Fernando Santos’ men beat Wales 2-0 in Lyon.
Captain Ronaldo was ecstatic after the match and is confident Portugal are ready to go all the way, 12 years after their heart-breaking loss to Greece in the Euro 2004 final on home soil.
“It is what we have dreamt of since the beginning,” Ronaldo said to UEFA.
“I hope that [after the final] we will be smiling and that it will be tears of joy in the end. I have always said my dream was to win a trophy with Portugal. We are closer to doing it and I believe that we will win.
“With a lot of work, humility and the spirit of self-sacrifice, which I have always shown in my career, these sorts of things are doable.
“We knew it would be a long road and we are still in the tournament. We have believed right from the start. We had difficult moments, but it’s like I always say: it’s better to start poorly and have a positive ending.
“The players deserve it, the coach deserves it. The entire medical staff as well. They have been doing an excellent job with the players’ fitness. We haven’t won anything yet as I said a few days ago, but the dream is still alive.”
The goal in Portugal’s semi-final victory saw Ronaldo draw level with Michel Platini as the record goalscorer in the competition’s history on nine. He has the chance to take the record outright in Sunday’s final at Stade de France.
