Iceland Striker Cristiano Ronaldo said he had a special day when he scored the only goal to help Portugal beat Iceland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, in his 200th match for the national team.
Before the match, Ronaldo was awarded a Guinness World Record certificate for the player with the most appearances for his national team. The Portuguese striker surpassed Bader Al-Mutawa's old record of 196 games for the Kuwait national team. The audience at Laugardalsvollur Stadium, Reykjavik also stood up and applauded the 38-year-old player.
The happy day was even more complete for Ronaldo, when he scored the only goal to bring victory to Portugal in the 89th minute. From a teammate's pass, Goncalo Inacio headed the ball for Ronaldo to tap into the net from close range, past Runar Runarsson.
Ronaldo scored a goal as Portugal defeated host Iceland 1-0 in Group J of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. Photo: EPA
The linesman initially raised his flag for offside, disallowing Ronaldo's goal. VAR then stepped in and took more than two minutes to determine that Portugal's goal was valid. When the goal was awarded, Ronaldo held up two fingers, indicating his 200th appearance for the national team, then went to the corner of the pitch to celebrate with his familiar spin.
"I'm very happy, it's a special taste," Ronaldo told RTP3 after the match. "Reaching 200 caps for the national team is a moment I never thought possible. And of course, scoring the winning goal makes it even more special. I have to thank the stadium, the fans, the federation and my teammates for surprising me."
The 38-year-old striker also admitted that Portugal had a difficult match. During the 90 minutes, Portugal controlled the ball 72%, had 11 shots with 3 on target, compared to 7 and 1 for Iceland.
According to Ronaldo, Iceland actively played low, defended fiercely, and committed more than ten fouls in the first half, making it impossible for Portugal to play in the style they wanted. He also emphasized that winning these difficult matches will determine the ticket to Euro 2024.
"Today, the whole team fought and showed great spirit. All the players tried until the last second, believed in victory and deserved this result," Ronaldo added.
Key developments of the match Iceland 0-1 Portugal.
Similarly, coach Roberto Martinez said Portugal had a difficult match, with many players tired both physically and mentally after a long season and playing just a few days after the match against Bosnia. Therefore, the 49-year-old coach made full use of his five substitutions and was pleased that Portugal maintained their winning streak in Group J of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
In the next training session, Ronaldo and his teammates will visit the second-placed team Slovakia on September 8 and then return to their home stadium Algarve to host Luxembourg three days later.
Hong Duy
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