Cristiano Ronaldo of Funchal, Portugal is still playing soccer at a high level at the age of 36. On Tuesday, Ronaldo made European soccer history, in scoring twice against Hungary in a 3-0 win in Budapest to begin Portugal’s tournament.
Ronaldo now has 11 career goals in the history of the European Soccer Championship, two more goals than Michel Platini of France, who had nine goals at Euro 1984 in France. Platini scored in all five of France’s games in the tournament, including a hat trick in a 3-2 win over Yugoslavia.
Ronaldo broke the record in the 87th minute on a penalty kick to put Portugal up 2-0, and then scored five minutes later to close out the scoring and put Portugal up by three. While all nine of Platini’s European Soccer Championship goals came in one year, Ronaldo scored 11 times in five European Soccer Championships.
At Euro 2004 in Portugal, Ronaldo scored in a 2-1 Portugal loss to Greece, and in a 2-1 Portugal win over the Netherlands. At Euro 2008 in Switzerland, Ronaldo scored the game-winning goal in a 3-1 Portugal win over the Czech Republic. At Euro 2012, Ronaldo scored twice in a 2-1 Portugal win over the Netherlands in the Ukraine, and in a 1-0 Portugal win over the Czech Republic in Poland. At Euro 2016 in France, Ronaldo scored twice in a 3-3 Portugal tie with Hungary, and in a 1-0 Portugal win over Wales.
Ronaldo was one of two players to score two goals for his team in the opening game of Euro 2020. In Glasgow on Monday, Patrik Schick scored twice for the Czech Republic against Scotland.
In other action on Tuesday, France beat Germany 1-0 in Munich, in a battle of superpowers. France actually scored two other goals, but on both occasions they were called for offside. France’s lone goal meanwhile was an own goal accidentally scored by the Germans into their own net.
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