“They can win Euros, but only if Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t play” - Ex-Chelsea star makes bold claim on Portugal ahead of Euro 2024

Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has claimed that without Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal stands a better chance of winning the Euros in the summer. The Portuguese superstar is set to lead his country to this summer's Euros in Germany, aiming to win the trophy for a second time.

Cristiano Ronaldo became the talisman of Portuguese football in 2006 following the retirement of Luis Figo, and he has not looked back since then. The 39-year-old managed to help his country win a first-ever piece of silverware when he captained them to glory in Euro 2016 in France.

This summer, the Al-Nassr superstar will have the chance of winning the trophy for a second time when he leads a hugely talented squad to Germany. Managed by former Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, Portugal has been drawn in Group F with Türkiye, Czech Republic, and a playoff qualifier.

Former French defender Leboeuf believes that Portugal, who are ranked as the seventh-best team in the world, are strong contenders for the title. While speaking to BetVictor, the former Chelsea man said that the condition for the side winning would be for Martinez to drop Cristiano Ronaldo in the tournament.

"For me, Portugal are actually one of the contenders for this summer's European Championships. I actually think they can win the Euros, but only if Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't play."

"You cannot take away anything that Ronaldo has done for football just because he has gone to retire in the Saudi League. I want to thank him for taking the sport to another level, but there is an end for everyone. He has every right to play in Saudi Arabia, although I'm not sure he needed even more money!"

The influential forward was dropped in the FIFA World Cup knockout stages in Qatar in 2022 by former manager Fernando Santos. The result was a quarterfinal exit at the hands of Morocco, which earned the manager the sack.

Cristiano Ronaldo to miss strike partner in Al-Nassr Champions League match

Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr will see Cristiano Ronaldo return to action after serving his one-game ban for obscenity in the league. His first assignment would be against Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League, but it would be without Anderson Talisca.

Brazilian forward Talisca has been a good Robin to Ronaldo's batman, forming a formidable partnership with him in attack. In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo against Al-Hazm, the forward scored three of the side's four goals in the 4-4 draw.

Talisca will not feature in the match against Al-Ain as he faces up to a month on the sidelines through injury. The former Benfica man, who has 16 league goals this season, picked up his injury in training, according to sources from Saudi Arabia.