“It may well have been the best season he’s had since I’ve known him” - When Cristiano Ronaldo named teammate as best player of Euro 2016

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo hailed his Portugal and Real Madrid teammate Pepe as the best player at Euro 2016. The year was memorable for the duo, as they led their nation to their first international silverware at the European Championships in France.

No footballer has shared the pitch with Ronaldo more times than Pepe over the legendary forward's career. The defender played 28,097 minutes across 348 games with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for club and country. Speaking about the defender's performance in 2016 after the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo hailed his performance, saying (via Si):

"It may well have been the best season he's had since I've known him. For me he was without a doubt the best player for Portugal and one of Real Madrid's best players in the Champions League. I'm happy that he was chosen in the Team of the Tournament. Hopefully he'll also be in the FIFA Team of the Year. I hope he’ll feature because he continues to be an extraordinary player, not just this year but throughout recent years. In my opinion Pepe was the best player at the Euros."

Pepe retired from professional football in the summer of 2024 after a career that included winning three UEFA Champions Leagues, three LaLiga crowns, four Portuguese League titles, the European Championship, the UEFA Nations League, and eight domestic cups.

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"Cristiano told me I would score the winning goal" - When Eder revealed what Cristiano Ronaldo told him before Euro 2016 triumph

In 2016, Portuguese striker Eder hailed Cristiano Ronaldo for filling him with the confidence to score the winning goal for his country at the Euro 2016 final. The striker bagged the 109th-minute goal that helped his country to their first-ever piece of major silverware in Paris, beating France 1-0 in the final.

The striker scored only five goals in 35 appearances for his country, but none will live longer in his and his nation's memory than his effort in Paris. Speaking abut the impact the legendary forward had on him after the match, Eder said (via Essentially Sport):

"Cristiano told me I would score the winning goal, He gave me strength and positive energy. A lot of hard work went into it. With the injury to Ronaldo, we went through a tough time because he's very important for us but he gave us all his courage and his strength. We were able to win it for him and all the Portuguese people."

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to represent Portugal and is now not just the highest goalscorer in the nation's history but in the sport's history at the international level. He is contracted to Al-Nassr in the SaudiPro League.