"A winning of millions!": Cristiano Ronaldo recalls Portugal's Euro 2016 glory

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The image shows Ronaldo celebrating with the Euro trophy alongside his Portugal teammates following their title-winning campaign a decade ago.

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The 41-year-old remains Portugal's all-time leading appearance-maker and goalscorer, having guided the national side to multiple international honours, including the UEFA Euro 2016 title and the inaugural UEFA Nations League crown.

Portugal, hailed as one of the favourites to finally lift the trophy, ended their FIFA World Cup journey, falling way short again, in the round of 16.

A late Mikel Merino strike helped Spain clinch the quarterfinal spot with a 1-0 win in a match that was expected to feature goals, with the likes of Bruno, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal and Cristiano Ronaldo featuring in the match.

Cristiano, playing his last-ever FIFA World Cup as he announced ahead of the Spain clash, was once again made to leave with the pitch with sorrow on his face and tears in his eyes as a late winner from Mikel Merino and plenty of missed chances by his side, including from him and Bruno Fernandes saw Portugal suffer again, marking the end of legendary striker's career at the grandest stage of the sport.

Since Cristiano's debut at the grandest stage, Portugal has achieved fourth place in his debut tournament in 2006, followed by a round of 16 in the 2010 edition, then a group stage exit in 2014 and then another pre-quarterfinal exit in 2018. The 2022 edition saw Portugal doing slightly better, making it to the quarterfinals, but it was his long-time rival Lionel Messi who pretty much ended the 'GOAT' debates by capturing the prestigious trophy for Argentina and delivering a sensational performance in the final.Cristiano's FIFA World Cup career ends with 27 matches (second most by a player) and just 11 goals, underwhelming for a player of his stature and level of club accomplishments.

Heading into the tournament, there were a lot of questions around Cristiano's participation, but as an individual, he had a rather decent outing, with three goals in five matches in this edition. However, during his final match, he made an unfortunate record, recording 17 shots during a FIFA WC, without creating a single chance for his teammates, the most by any player. (ANI)