The Portuguese superstar is playing in the tournament for a record sixth time. The Portuguese national team has reached the quarter-finals, where Kylian Mbappé and France await in Hamburg on Friday.
Speaking to Portuguese public broadcaster RTP after Monday’s penalty shoot-out win over Slovenia, the 39-year-old said: “It is definitely my last Euros.
“But I’m not excited about that. I’m moved by everything that football means, the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm to see the fans, my family, the affection that people have for me.”
One of the most prolific goalscorers in football history, with a record 14 goals at the European Championship, said his main motivation now was “making people happy”. He cried during the game against Slovenia after Jan Oblak saved a penalty from him in extra time.
“It’s not about leaving football,” he said. “What else can I do or win? It’s not going to come down to one more point or one less point.”
The Netherlands is doing its job:
The Netherlands qualified for their first European Championship quarter-finals in 16 years with a 3-0 win over Romania on Tuesday.
Cody Gakpo broke the deadlock in the 20th minute and Donyell Malen scored twice in the final minutes to secure the Dutch place as one of the top eight nations in the tournament.
The Oranje wasted a number of chances to extend their early lead, including one in which captain Virgil van Dijk hit the post. However, the improvement compared to the group stage, which ended with a 3-2 defeat to Austria, was noticeable.
Ronald Koeman’s side could have an immediate chance of revenge in Berlin on Saturday if Austria beat Turkey in the last-16 game later on Tuesday.
“I think we played a good game and showed a great reaction at the end,” Gakpo said. “Today was a good step in the right direction. We talked a lot about aggression, intensity and defending as a team.”
Source: AP
