Before the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal national team had a discreet track record on the international stage. In 82 years of competition, the Portuguese team had only managed to qualify for three of the 11 European Championships held, which represented a 27% participation rate. In World Cups, their presence was even more irregular, with only three appearances in 17 editions, equivalent to 18% of the total.
That Portugal, prior to the Ronaldo phenomenon, had also not achieved any official title. Its trajectory was characterized by talented generations, but without the ability to sustain a winning project. The national team was competitive at times, but without consistency in major tournaments.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival marked a turning point
Cristiano’s debut with the national team, accompanied by a huge international career, completely changed the history of Portuguese football. Since his debut, the national team has played in six out of six possible European Championships, with a 100% success rate in qualifying. Their continuity in World Cups reflects the same pattern: six consecutive World Cup appearances, also with 100% attendance.
all-time top scorer in international footballThe national team was transformed into a regular protagonist in major tournaments
A titleless team went on to lift three trophies
Before Cristiano, Portugal had not managed to win a single official title.three trophies: Euro 2016, historic as the first major championship in its history; and two editions of the UEFA Nations Leaguechange in mentality within the teamCristiano became an emotional reference point,
a leader who raised the competitive level of each generation that coincided with him.
A unique case in the history of international football
Portugal went from qualifying for six out of 28 major tournaments (21% success rate) to participating in 100% of the competitions since Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut, i.e. 12 out of 12.there is no comparable case in world football to the impact Cristiano Ronaldo has had on Portugal
. His presence not only changed results, it changed an entire identity.
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