Portugal won

CR-7

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese international footballer (his initials and shirt number)



Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, GOIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɾiʃ'tjɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu], born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. He is a forward and serves as captain for Portugal. In 2008, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He then won the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Ronaldo scored his 500th senior career goal for club and country.

Often ranked as the best player in the world, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation, during its 100th anniversary celebrations in 2015. He is the only player to win four European Golden Shoe awards. One of the most marketable athletes in sport, in 2016 Forbes named Ronaldo the world's best paid athlete. In June 2016, ESPN ranked him the world's most famous athlete.

Ronaldo began his club career playing for Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United aged 18 in 2003. After winning his first trophy, the FA Cup, during his first season in England, he helped United win three successive Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title, and a FIFA Club World Cup. By age 23, he had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. He was the world's most expensive player when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth €94 million ($132 million). In Spain, he has since won one La Liga title, two Copas del Rey, two Champions League titles, and a Club World Cup. Ronaldo holds the record for most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season, having scored 17 goals in the 2013–14 season. In 2014, Ronaldo became the fastest player to score 200 goals in La Liga, which he accomplished in his 178th La Liga game. He is the only player in the history of football to score 50 or more goals in a season on six consecutive occasions. In 2015, Ronaldo became the all-time top goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League, and he also became Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer. He is the second highest goalscorer in La Liga history behind his perceived career rival Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in August 2003, at the age of 18. He is Portugal's most capped player of all time with 130 caps, and has participated in seven major tournaments: four UEFA European Championships (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016) and three FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014). He is the first Portuguese player to reach 50 international goals, making him Portugal's all-time top goalscorer. He scored his first international goal in Euro 2004 and helped Portugal reach the final. He took over captaincy in July 2008, and he led Portugal to the semi-finals at Euro 2012, finishing the competition as joint-top scorer. In November 2014, Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in the UEFA European Championship (including qualifying) with 23 goals.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo/

PARIS, July 1 (Reuters) - Portugal continue to be a paradox at Euro 2016, reaching the semi-finals without ever giving the kind of uplifting performance that their talented team should be capable of.

Coach Fernando Santos was naturally delighted after his side overcame Poland on penalties in the quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw, yet, as far as the neutrals were concerned, it was another soporific display.

Portugal's progress to the semi-finals, without winning a match inside 90 minutes, has drawn parallels with the Paraguay team who managed to reach the 2011 Copa America final by drawing every game.

The only difference was that Portugal at least managed to beat Croatia 1-0 after extra-time in the second round while Paraguay won both their knockout games at the Copa on penalty shootouts before coming a cropper in the final against Uruguay which they lost 3-0.

In some ways, it seems harsh to criticise a Portugal team whose recent record at the European championship puts many bigger countries to shame.

The Portuguese have reached the quarter-finals on all seven occasions they have taken part and in the last five tournaments have reached the final once and the semi-finals three times.

But there has been something strangely unsatisfying, and even exasperating, about their performances at Euro 2016.

Their style of play is not especially defensive, they do not commit more fouls than anyone else and their average of 19 goal attempts per game is the fourth highest at the tournament.

On the other hand, their second-round tie against Croatia was dire and the second hour of the match against Poland lulled Marseille's Stade Velodrome into near silence.

It has been pretty much the same story since the amiable Santos took over in September 2014, having led Greece to the last 16 at the World Cup.

Portugal are unbeaten in 12 competitive matches under his leadership but their nine wins during that period have all been by single goal margins.

Their line-up suggests they should be capable of more. Three-times world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo, former Manchester United winger Nani, mercurial forward Ricardo Quaresma and midfielder Joao Moutinho have shown only the odd flash of their abilities.

Instead, Portugal have become a team who are difficult to beat, even more difficult to watch, and the talk after matches is invariably about unity, hard work and commitment.

They are also clinical in penalty shootouts and converted all five spot-kicks against Poland.

"We are a team with great character. I continue to say I'm only going home on 11 July," said Santos, who has insisted since the start that Portugal will reach the final on July 10.

"You need to have courage to take penalties in a shootout, you need to have personality and cold blood, and the players had that."

Ronaldo was equally upbeat.

"Maybe nobody gave much for our chances but we are now in the semi-finals," he said. "It was a very important win, the team took the penalties well and fought hard. We are in the semi-finals and now anything in possible."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-talented-players-dull-matches-semi-final-place-111333187--sow.html/

In short, someone who plays real football.

I tried to get CR-7's pic up, 3 xs yesterday .He is a superstar.

But I couldn't post it.
( Maybe I am banned in Portugal... )

Its likely he will lift the trophy. The Portuguese I watched during the group stages is not the same as this side. They had grown as a team with the tournament. The once porous defence is almost watertight.
Things are looking up for him while things seem to go from bad to worse for Lionell Messi.

No Sassyeuro2,the Portuguese will love you for showcasing their most successful soccer star on M2