“It is no coincidence that we are already qualified” - Cristiano Ronaldo makes bold Portugal Euro qualifying claim under coach Roberto Martinez 

Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that Portugal's qualifying campaign for the 2024 UEFA Euros was the easiest he has been a part of during his time with the national team.

Portugal beat both Iceland and Liechtenstein by 2-0 scorelines during the November international break to complete a flawless qualifying campaign. They were placed in Group J alongside Slovakia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Portugal won all 10 of their group games, scoring 36 times and conceding just twice. Praising manager Roberto Martinez after the win against Iceland on 19 November, where he grabbed an assist, Ronaldo said (h/t SportItalia.com):

"I don't think we've ever had such an easy qualifying phase since I joined the national team, not even in the history of the national team. Portugal qualified because they played well, they have an excellent team, an excellent coach [Roberto Martinez] and we deserved to go through. It is no coincidence that we are already qualified."

Ronaldo played in nine of those 10 games, scoring 10 times and providing a couple of assists. It seems likely that the 38-year-old superstar will represent Portugal at the 2024 UEFA Euros in Germany next summer.

If he does that, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar will hold the record for most appearances at UEFA European Championships. He has currently appeared in five editions, a record he shares with Spain legend Iker Casillas.

Martinez, who has a contract until the summer of 2026, is set to manage Portugal for the first time in a major international competition when they appear in the Euros. He became the national team's manager in January this year and took charge of all 10 qualifying games.

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How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared at Al-Nassr this season?

The 2023-24 season is Cristiano Ronaldo's first full season at Al-Nassr. He joined the club in January this year on a free transfer and penned a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The Portuguese superstar is in fine form during this campaign, netting 16 goals and laying out nine assists in 17 games across competitions. Thirteen goals and seven assists have come in 12 Saudi Pro League games, where he is the current top scorer.

Ronaldo has also scored three goals and provided an assist in three AFC Champions League games, where Al-Nassr sit top after four matches. His most recent contribution for Faris Najd came in the form of a goal in a 3-1 league win over Al-Wehda on 11 November.