Cristiano Ronaldo once again etched his name in the football history books when he became the first male player to appear in six editions of the European Championship, according to national media.
The Portuguese forward’s final appearance helped his national team beat the Czech Republic 2-1 on Tuesday.
Ronaldo, 39, made his European championship debut in 2004 when Portugal lost to Greece. Since then, he appeared in every tournament.
The Al Nassr star, who set the record for most goals in the Saudi Arabian Pro League with 35 goals for his club in the recently concluded season, is a threat even if he fails to match his 14 goals in the Euros.
“Another chapter of our history begins today,” wrote Ronaldo on X before the match. “I remember my first day with the national team, a journey full of challenges and victories.
“Now I have the privilege of being in a winning team full of talent and determination. With everyone’s strength and support, we made our dreams come true.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made his debut under Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari in August 2003 at the age of 18, scoring 130 goals in 208 appearances for Portugal.
In addition, defender Pepe, who made his debut in Portugal in November 2007, became the oldest player to appear in the European Championship at 41 years and 113 days, surpassing the record held by former Hungarian goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.
Kiraly was 40 years and 86 days old when he played against Belgium in the round of 16 at Euro 2016.
