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Ahead of the biggest European international football tournament, UEFA Euro 2024, Portugal are scheduled to face Croatia and Ireland in friendlies. While Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo missed the previous friendly against Finland on June 4, speculations have been made over his presence in the game against Croatia on Saturday with head coach Roberto Martinez providing a major update on the leading international goal-scorer in football history.
Portugal without Cristiano Ronaldo managed a dominant 4-2 victory against Finland and are next scheduled to face Croatia on Saturday at the Centro Desportivo Nacional do Jamor in Portugal.
Ahead of Croatia clash, Roberto Martinez praised the 39-year-old Ronaldo in a press conference and said, "There is no other player who can contribute to a locker room like Cristiano Ronaldo. He is an incredible goalscorer. This will be his sixth Euro, and he is the only player to have played in five Euro championships."
Apart from appreciating the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, the Spanish coach also provided update about Al-Nassr captain and said, "Cristiano Ronaldo can train today but he will not play against Croatia."
Watch Cristiano Ronaldo training with Portugal:
In the press conference, Martínez confirmed that Ronaldo, Neves, and Pepe (who is nursing minor injuries) will not play in the upcoming match against Croatia. However, the Saudi duo are expected to return to the team for their final friendly fixture against Ireland ahead of the Euro 2024.
In the UEFA Euro 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal are placed in Group F alongside Turkey, Georgia, and Czech Republic. The 2016 Euro champion Ronaldo, will aim to extend his record as the Euro top-scorer as Portugal are scheduled to commence their campaign on Tuesday, June 18 against Czech Republic.
