Cristiano Ronaldo is being praised in Portugal after his two hundredth international match, where he proved to be invaluable against Iceland. The record-holder for Portuguese national team appearances himself described it as an 'unforgettable evening' in Reykjavik.
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Ronaldo scored the winning goal against Iceland just before the end of the match, his 123rd for Portugal. 'I couldn't have asked for more in my two hundredth international match. It was a spectacular, unforgettable evening, also because of everything that was organized. I want to thank the people in Iceland for that,' Ronaldo told RTP. Before the international match, the Al Nassr striker was honored in Reykjavik.
'For eternity,' writes the Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola about Ronaldo's remarkable milestone. Record refers to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner as 'king': 'Reinaldo'. O Jogo headlines with 'Ronaldo until the end'. After the victory against Iceland, coach Roberto Martínez spoke about the 'perfect story' for his captain.
'This achievement is definitely something to be proud of. I hope to further increase my number of international appearances, including goals, if possible. I thank Gonçalo Inácio for the assist. I also want to emphasize that our coach is doing an excellent job. We are working hard to implement his ideas on the field. It takes time to perfectly execute the plans,' Ronaldo added.
Admiration
Coach Martínez is impressed by Ronaldo. 'Only when you work with Cristiano, you see the extent of what he does to perform at such a high level at the age of 38. He is still so determined to show that he is the best. But he also helps the young players. I have learned from him that you can always feel young, no matter how old you are.'
'Cristiano is still in top shape. His stats, as seen a few days ago against Bosnia and Herzegovina, remain impressive. That's why I had him play the full 90 minutes twice. I'm not surprised by what Cristiano is capable of. I find it incredibly admirable that he doesn't let up for a moment after two hundred international matches,' the Spaniard explains.
Updated: 10:29, 21 Jun 2023
