Cristiano Ronaldo fuelled by fury and injustice ahead of Portugal and Slovenia Euro 2024 showdown
Cristiano Ronaldo is poised to start when Portugal lock horns with Slovenia at Euro 2024
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With Cristiano Ronaldo yet to score at Euro 2024, pressure is mounting on the Portugal star ahead of tonight's showdown with Slovenia.
But anybody who expects the 39-year-old to be dropped for the clash, despite being a shadow of the player he once was, looks set for a rude awakening.
Ronaldo isn't firing on all cylinders, having drawn blanks in matches with Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia so far.
Yet he is Ronaldo, a spectre, a man Jose Fonte has described as the 'flag' of the national team. Goncalo Ramos, though a good striker, doesn't quite have the same appeal.
Cristiano Ronaldo is poised to start when Portugal lock horns with Slovenia at Euro 2024
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As Ronaldo prepares to take to the field, he's driven by fury and injustice.
How dare Lionel Messi have more Ballon d'Ors than him.
How dare people think he's past his best when he's arguably the best finisher there's ever been.
How dare football fans claim Messi is the greatest of all time with his one World Cup, when Ronaldo helped Portugal win the European Championships eight years ago.
How dare anybody question the talents of a man who has delivered on every stage, at every opportunity, no matter the circumstances.
In Ronaldo's eyes, it has always been him against the world.
When he joined Manchester United in 2003, as a replacement for David Beckham, it took him a while to get going.
Though he offered glimpses of the world-beater he would become, many United fans wished they'd landed the Brazilian Ronaldo instead.
He riled Roy Keane and Paul Scholes with his decision-making and his love of tricks and flicks, while Ruud van Nistelrooy infamously couldn't see what all the hype was about.
But Ronaldo never shirked the challenge. By the time he left Old Trafford for Real Madrid in 2009 he was the best player in the world, a star in every sense of the world, a man no longer a mere mortal.
Since then, he has become a Real Madrid legend. He delivered for Juventus and even had his moments in his second spell at United, which didn't quite match the dizzying highs of the first.
At the age of 39, the fire in his belly remains ignited, driving him on to record after record.
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Cristiano Ronaldo loathes that Lionel Messi has a World Cup to his name as Portugal's Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia looms
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Some question why Ronaldo is still prepared to play when he's lost some of the traits of old.
There is no longer the searing speed, for starters. He is a far more static presence these days, relying on others to create chances instead of conjuring them himself.
The goals, at least when playing for Portugal, don't come as frequently as they once did either.
But Ronaldo remains determined to add to his trophy haul, eager to give fans another reason to champion himself when it comes to the Messi arguments that have rumbled on for 20 years.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored goals galore but is yet to get off the mark for Portugal at Euro 2024
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He is unhappy at never having won the World Cup. Whisper it quietly, but there's every chance he'll turn out for Portugal when that competition commences in two years time.
Ronaldo, should he score tonight, would become the oldest goalscorer in European Championships history - surpassing Luka Modric, who clinched the record by scoring for Croatia against Portugal last month.
He is raging against the dying light but Portugal, with their star-studded squad, have the players to bring the trophy back to Lisbon.
Ronaldo will want to be part of that. He wants his goals, he wants the glory, and he wants to add to his legacy.
Whether he can do that remains to be seen.