Although still one of the most famous and richest athletes on the planet, playing in the Saudi Pro League, a tournament that is much less competitive than Europe’s top leagues, has many people questioning Cristiano Ronaldo’s true form.

More than two decades have passed since Cristiano Ronaldo first made his mark on the international stage, and now, at EURO 2024 in Germany, he is still the centre of attention. This year’s tournament marks Ronaldo’s sixth appearance for Portugal, who continue to put their faith in their greatest ever scorer.

Despite turning 39, Ronaldo has been hugely influential in the EURO 2024 qualifying campaign. He has started nine of the 10 matches, scored 10 goals and is behind only Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Dias in minutes played. That impressive form continued in the friendly against the Republic of Ireland when CR7 scored two goals for the European Selecao .

CR7 will still be the leader of Portugal at this EURO.

Coach Roberto Martinez affirmed: “We do not choose players based on where they play” , implicitly affirming Ronaldo’s important role in the Portuguese squad.

However, Ronaldo’s controversial decision to leave Manchester United in November 2022 to join Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League for a record salary has left him less of a fan following.

Despite still being one of the most famous and wealthy athletes on the planet, playing in the Saudi Pro League, a league far less competitive than Europe’s top leagues, makes many people question his CR7’s true performance.

 

 

Ronaldo is still one of the most watched players at this EURO.

However, there is no denying Ronaldo’s spectacular return when he became the world’s top scorer at the age of 39. With 50 goals in all competitions for Al Nassr in the 2023-2024 season, including 35 scoring in the domestic tournament, Ronaldo became the first player to win the Golden Shoe in 4 different countries. However, it is necessary to consider the context of the Saudi Pro League, where the teams’ defenses still have a lot of space for Ronaldo to exploit.

Statistics show that Ronaldo has taken full advantage of the laxity of the opposition defence in the Saudi Pro League . He has averaged 6.2 shots per 90 minutes, a figure similar to his last three seasons at Real Madrid and Juventus. His ability to choose a position, move intelligently and finish with both feet helps Ronaldo easily tear the opponent’s net.

CR7’s number of shots per 90 minutes in the last 9 seasons.

Despite facing weaker opponents in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo’s impressive scoring form was evident throughout the EURO 2024 qualifying campaign . He had 46 shots, scoring 10 goals from 19 on target, second only to Romelu Lukaku in terms of goals scored. This shows that Ronaldo still maintains his killer instinct and strong desire to score despite turning 39.

At EURO 2024, Portugal is in the group considered to be the easiest with the participation of the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia. However, the real challenge for Ronaldo and his teammates will come from the knockout round, where they will have to face tougher opponents. Can Ronaldo shine and help Portugal advance in this year’s tournament? The answer will come after a month of exciting competition in Germany.