Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a rallying cry to his Portugal teammates ahead of their Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash against Slovenia, urging them to give their all in the crucial match, according to Sportskeeda. The Portuguese captain took to social media to post a message of encouragement, saying "Let's go with everything, Portugal! 🇵🇹"
Ronaldo's message comes after Portugal finished top of Group F, despite a surprise loss to Georgia in their final group stage match. The Selecao will now face Slovenia at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany, on July 1, with a place in the quarterfinals on the line.
The 39-year-old forward, who has a yellow card heading into the match, is looking to lead his team to another major tournament triumph, having won Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2018-19. With 130 goals in 210 appearances, Ronaldo is Portugal's and the overall international all-time leading goal scorer, and will be hoping to add to that tally against Slovenia.
Portugal's head coach Roberto MartÃnez has also spoken out about Ronaldo's importance to the team, saying "VAR was not consistent. It was a penalty on Cristiano, without a doubt, we suffered." The coach's comments come after Ronaldo was denied a penalty in the Georgia match, which ended in a 2-0 loss for Portugal.
With Ronaldo leading the charge, Portugal will be looking to bounce back from that defeat and secure a place in the next round of the tournament. Will they be able to overcome Slovenia and continue their Euro 2024 journey? Only time will tell.