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Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start for Portugal when they take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifiers on Saturday (June 17). The Selecao are set to play their second set of qualifying games, against Bosnia in Portugal and away at Iceland on Monday (June 20).
Portugal sit atop Group J of the qualifiers with six points from two games. They beat Liechtenstein and Luxembourg in their first two games. Cristiano Ronaldo will be determined to take the Selecao closer to qualification with wins over Bosnia and Iceland in their upcoming games.
He linked up with the national team after completing the 2022-23 season with Al-Nassr. The superstar took to Instagram to express his delight on returning to Portugal for the game against Bosnia:
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"Always a special feeling to be back home."
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also posted a picture of himself relaxing after training on Thursday (June 15). He does not appear to have any injury concerns and is expected to lead the line for the 2016 European winners against Bosnia.
It's worth noting that Ronaldo netted braces in Portugal's wins against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg in March. Only Denmark's Rasmus Hojlund (5) has scored more goals than the Al-Nassr superstar in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
The Portuguese icon (122), who has scored more goals than anyone else in international men's football, will be determined to add to his tally in Lisbon. He grabbed a brace when he faced Bosnia last time in 2011, helping his team earn a 6-2 win in the 2012 European Championship qualifying playoffs.
Cristiano Ronaldo lost Portugal starting place at 2022 FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo went into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with a point to prove, having mutually terminated his deal with Manchester United just before the tournament. However, the competition did not go according to plan for the superstar, as he saw his influence on the national team wane.
Then-manager Fernando Santos dropped the forward to the bench for the knockout games against Switzerland and Morocco. The decision paid off in the Round of 16 clash against the former, as Ronaldo's replacement, Goncalo Ramos, netted three goals in the 6-1 win. However, it did not work out in the quarterfinals against the Atlas Lions, as the Selecao suffered a 1-0 loss.
Santos stepped down from his role as manager after the team's elimination. Roberto Martinez took charge and immediately reinstated Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup. The Al-Nassr captain repaid Martinez's trust with four goals in two games.
