Ronaldo: Euros record breaker and record chaser

At nan property of 39, Cristiano Ronaldo is backmost to spearhead Portugal's bid to go European champions again - successful what could beryllium nan last awesome tourney of his unthinkable career.

Ronaldo helped Portugal triumph Euro 2016 and played a captious portion successful qualifying for this 1 arsenic Roberto Martinez's broadside won each 10 of their matches.

BBC Sport has studied Ronaldo's stellar Euros profession and taken a look astatine nan records he holds astatine European Championships - and those he could good break successful Germany complete nan adjacent 4 weeks.

Ronaldo first played successful nan Euros successful 2004, aged 19, and tin agelong a grounds he holds simply by getting connected nan pitch. He is already nan only antheral subordinate to person represented his state astatine 5 Euros and, arsenic agelong arsenic he doesn't get injured, will surely widen that to six this month.

He marked his debut pinch a extremity against Greece successful a 2-1 conclusion connected 12 June 2004 - and nan goals support connected coming.

Not including punishment shootouts, he has scored 14 goals astatine nan Euros - 2 successful 2004, 1 successful 2008, 3 successful some 2012 and 2016 earlier his 5 successful 2021 made him that tournament's associated apical scorer.

A double against Hungary successful Portugal's opening lucifer 3 years agone took him past Michel Platini's full of 9 for nan men's record, though each of those 9 came successful nan aforesaid title arsenic France won nan 1984 title.

England's Alan Shearer and France's Antoine Griezmann person 7 goals apiece, pinch 8 players connected six, including England's Wayne Rooney, France's Thierry Henry and nan Netherlands' Ruud van Nistelrooy, while Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and Spain's Alvaro Morata will beryllium looking to move connected from their half twelve totals successful Germany.

Ronaldo besides holds nan favoritism of being nan only antheral to people 3 aliases much goals successful aggregate Euros.

Ronaldo was injured during Portugal's triumph complete France successful nan 2016 final, pinch him past acting arsenic if he was associated head on pinch coach Fernando Santos, screaming instructions astatine nan players from nan sidelines.

But his reliability astatine nan Euros has been outstanding and he has played successful each but 1 of Portugal's matches successful each of nan past 5 tournaments - erstwhile he was rested for their past group crippled against Switzerland successful 2008 pinch Portugal already guaranteed to advance.

As a result, Ronaldo's full of 25 appearances is different record, pinch compatriots Joao Moutinho and Pepe adjacent successful statement connected 19 apiece.

Since 1980, no-one has travel adjacent to Ronaldo successful having much attempts astatine goal. Ronaldo's fig of 137 attempts is miles clear of Henry's 52, pinch chap Frenchman Zinedine Zidane and Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp, some connected 48.

But Ronaldo does not clasp each nan attacking records, yet.

Again since 1980, nan grounds for astir chances created is held by a Portuguese great, but not Ronaldo, arsenic Luis Figo sits connected apical of nan charts pinch 42. Ronaldo is only 1 down connected 41, pinch Germany's Mesut Ozil connected 40, Karel Poborsky of nan Czech Republic connected 39 and Zidane connected 38.

Former Manchester United winger Poborsky is presently sharing nan grounds pinch Ronaldo for astir assists pinch six each, though Manchester City and Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is among those connected 5 and will beryllium looking to bolster that number successful Germany.

Even astatine 39, Ronaldo is not nan oldest subordinate successful nan Portugal squad, pinch that honour falling to team-mate Pepe.

Providing nan 41-year aged defender does not score, Ronaldo could go nan oldest scorer successful nan tournament's history and return that grounds distant from Austria's Ivica Vastic (who was 38 years, 257 days erstwhile he scored successful a 1-1 tie against Poland In 2008).

The oldest scorer successful a Euros last could besides beryllium up for grabs, pinch that grounds presently held by Italy's Leonardo Bonucci, who was 34 erstwhile he equalised against England 3 years ago.

If Portugal, who are successful Group F pinch nan Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia, repetition their occurrence of 2016 past Ronaldo will go only nan 2nd subordinate - aft Spain's Iker Casillas successful 2008 and 2012 - to skipper his state to 2 Euro titles.

Statistically, Portugal, sixth successful nan world rankings, person nan easiest group of each nan apical seeds arsenic nary of their opponents are wrong nan apical 35, pinch nan Czech Republic 36th, Turkey 40th and Georgia, astatine 75th, nan lowest classed broadside successful nan tournament.

Ronaldo is 1 of only 9 men to person scored 5 aliases much goals astatine a azygous Euros, acknowledgment to his 5 successful 2021, and only Platini (nine successful 1984) and France's Antoine Griezmann (six successful 2016) person had much prolific campaigns.

In 206 Portugal appearances, Ronaldo, a multiple-time convention victor successful England pinch Manchester United, successful Spain pinch Real Madrid and successful Italy pinch Juventus, has scored an unthinkable 128 world goals and recovered nan nett (not including punishment shootouts) against 47 different nations.

He has 2 goals against nan Czech Republic but is yet to registry against either Turkey aliases Georgia, truthful by nan extremity of nan tourney - if Portugal scope nan knockout stages - he could good person scored against 50 countries.

In September, Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or victor who is presently playing for Saudi Arabian broadside Al-Nassr, passed nan 850-goal mark successful his career.

He is regarded arsenic 1 of nan finest beingness athletes nan crippled has ever seen, truthful could he spell connected moreover longer for his country?

The World Cup successful Canada, Mexico and nan United States takes spot successful 2026 erstwhile he would beryllium 41 - could he build connected his full of 8 World Cup goals, presently classed associated 26th connected nan all-time list?

After that, nan adjacent Euros are successful nan UK and Ireland successful 2028. Would that moreover beryllium imaginable for Ronaldo? Who knows, but immoderate happens his outstanding European records are going to return immoderate beating.