#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
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Cristiano Ronaldo has cemented his place in the pantheons of the greats of the game, but the Portuguese had to suffer a lot to reach there. While success with his clubs Manchester United and Real Madrid were easy to come by, it was triumph with the national team that eluded him.
Portugal were the hosts of the UEFA Euro 2004 and had managed to set up a final showdown against Greece – a fixture which had kickstarted the tournament earlier. However, despite being favourites, A Selecção suffered a shock 1-0 loss against the team playing in only their second-ever European Championship.
The Portuguese had never won a major international trophy and despite coming within touching distance of winning the Euro at home were denied at the final hurdle. Cristiano Ronaldo, still only 19 years of age, was heartbroken and in tears after the referee blew the full-time whistle and had to be comforted by his teammates and other team officials.
However, this was not the end of his failures with the national team. Cristiano soon established himself as one of the best footballers on the planet but failed to guide his team to triumphs in the 3 World Cups that followed along with the 2 European Championship.
In Euro 2016, after helping his team reach the final, Cristiano Ronaldo had another opportunity to vanquish the ghosts of the 2004 loss with a win over hosts France. But as fate would have it, the 4-time Ballon d’Or winner had to be substituted 25 minutes into the final.
Portugal went on to win the final courtesy of a goal from Eder helping them win their maiden major international honour while allowing add a trophy with the national team to Cristiano’s resume. A happy ending one could say after a series of heartbreaks.
