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Portugal midfielder Danilo Pereira has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo once motivated his international teammates not to give up in a game despite trailing with two minutes to go.
Portugal were losing to the Republic of Ireland in a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier in September 2021, courtesy of a John Egan strike in the first half.
Despite time running out, Ronaldo asked his teammates to believe in themselves. He stepped up to the plate by scoring two late goals to win the match.
In an interview with Ouest France ahead of PSG's UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid, Danilo reminisced on the match saying:
“Two minutes from the end, he comes to drink on the bench, and he says to us: “Don't worry, we will win. " I've watched it. I looked at the stadium screen: 88th minute. I thought: what? Well, I didn't say anything, but we already had to score once to equalise. And in the end, we won 2-1. He had scored two goals, in the 89th and 96th minutes…”
Ronaldo scored his 110th and 111th international goals for Portugal in the match. In the process, he became the highest international men's goalscorer in football history.
The 37-year-old's current focus is on turning the tide with Manchester United, where he is currently undergoing his longest goal drought in over a decade.
Cristiano Ronaldo looking to fire Portugal into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in potential international swansong
Cristiano Ronaldo is undeniably the greatest player in the history of the Portugal national team. With him as their talisman, the Iberian nation have become a mainstay in international tournaments.
The Madeira native has helped his nation qualify for no less than nine consecutive major competitions, starting with his tournament debut at Euro 2004.
His crowning glory came when he helped his country win Euro 2016 in France, which happened to be their maiden international trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had mixed performances at international competitions with Portugal, having tasted both the highs and lows of tournament football.
Having turned 37 years old, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has limited time left at the summit of the game regardless of how seemingly superhuman he looks. In light of this, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar could represent his last international tournament.
However, to get there, Portugal would have to first navigate a tricky playoff stage, with European champions Italy potentially lying in their path.
With Cristiano Ronaldo leading their charge, fans of Portugal are well within their right to have their expectations raised owing to his extraterrestrial antecedents.
