Doubts over Ronaldo dispelled
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Some people doubted whether, after a long and arduous season, 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo could still produce the goods for his country, but after Portugal's 3-0 win over Hungary in their Euro 2020 opener on Tuesday, the doubters have their answer.
Portugal, the champions in 2016, came into the rearranged tournament as one of the favourites given the attacking talent at coach Fernando Santos' disposal.
After Portugal's fortunate opener six minutes from time, it was all about Ronaldo, who added a coolly taken third 177 seconds after firing home from the penalty spot.
The way in which he remained calm before rounding the goalkeeper for his second of the night proved that even when not at his best, his potency in front of goal, when it matters, remains as lethal as ever.
That is now 106 international goals for the veteran, three off the all-time record set by Iran's Ali Daei.
The desire for more goals and records remains stronger than ever. After this imposing start to the tournament, few would bet against Ronaldo surpassing Daei and adding one more accolade to his ever-growing list before Euro 2020 is out.
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