Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo shared a memorable moment on social media, posting a photo where his teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders during a training session ahead of Euro 2024’s opener against the Czech Republic.
In the picture, Ronaldo is seen with his feet off the ground, his arms draped around midfielder Danilo Pereira and midfielder Vitinha, while goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Diogo Dalot stand close by, smiling. The 39-year-old legend captioned the post simply with a Portuguese flag emoji, letting the image speak for itself. Within just a few hours, the post garnered over 4 million likes across three major social platforms, capturing the hearts of fans worldwide.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Euro 2024 on June 14, Vitinha said he believed Ronaldo would “help Portugal win again” like eight years ago. “We are here to help Ronaldo in any way we can,” the 24-year-old midfielder added. “Then Portugal will be a great team and hopefully we can go as far as possible.”
Vitinha was also impressed by Ronaldo’s worldwide popularity. Tickets to watch a Portuguese training session in Germany can also cost up to 800 euros (860 USD). Normally, tickets to the stadium to watch team training sessions are given away free of charge, as in the case of Portugal, 6,000 free tickets. However, those who cannot afford to buy a free ticket may have to pay up to 860 USD. This price is more expensive than the best seat in the semi-final.
During Portugal’s training sessions, there are spectators who try to rush onto the pitch to get a better look at their idols. Or they have many other ways of cheering on the 39-year-old superstar, such as chanting “Hala Madrid.” Every time he sees the crowd doing that, Ronaldo claps.
Ronaldo’s photo appeared a day after Argentina posted a video of the players singing together on the bus, saying “winning another title with Lionel Messi is our dream.” Ronaldo and Messi are preparing to win the second continental title of their careers, at international level, Euro Cup and Copa America.
