Having won the first worldwide title of his illustrious career with Portugal at Euro 2016, Ronaldo has a realistic chance of bringing the Confederations Cup home.
Portugal players stretch during an official training session at the Rubin Training Ground in Kazan, Russia, on Friday, June 16, 2017.
Meanwhile, Portugal meet Mexico on Sunday and will start the tournament as one of the favourites after their triumph in the European Championships last season.
“He is concentrating on playing for the national team and he wants to give the motivation to have a good tournament”.
It is not just Ronaldo they will need to stop though – winger Bernardo Silva, who missed Euro 2016 through injury, is fresh from winning the French title with Monaco and sealing a big-money move to Manchester City.
Silva, who has just moved from FC Porto to AC Milan in a transfer worth almost 40 million euros, has scored seven goals in eight games since his debut with the national team in a friendly against Gibraltar in September.
Portugal will play Mexico in a Confederations Cup, Group A soccer match scheduled for Sunday, June 1. “I’ve always imagined myself playing with him”.
Midfielder Jackson Irvine is no less ambitious, despite pessimism from some external quarters after the recent 4-0 friendly defeat to Brazil, a match in which Australia performed well for periods, but were undone by individual errors and a lack of cohesion while attempting to give game time to as many players as possible.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico’s Carlos Vela jump for the ball during the Confederations Cup, Group A soccer match between Portugal and Mexico, at the Kazan Arena, Russia, Sunday, June 18, 2017.
Silva has been compared to a young Fernand Torres, the former Spain striker now playing for Atletico Madrid.
“I can only tell you that with the squad Portugal brought, it’s basically the best team they could have, apart from Renato Sanches”.
“I don’t think we’ll see a match with more defending than attacking”.
“We’re a tight-knit team and we really understand all the different phases we have to go through: when it’s time to train we train, and when it’s time to kick back and relax we do that too”.
He will form a skilful duo in the Socceroos’ midfield alongside Tom Rogic, who scored Celtic’s winning goal in the Scottish Cup final to claim the domestic treble.
The first goal of the after noon came from Portugal’s Quaresma with the assist by Ronaldo in the 34th minute. It was only Silva’s third match.