UEFA Euro 2016 Quarterfinals Poland vs Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo Aiming to be World's Best After Lionel Messi's Retirement
Portugal will go head-to-head with Poland in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Euro 2016 on Thursday. Cristiano Ronaldo is hoping to be his best to earn the world's best title after Lionel Messi's decision to retire.
Hoping to be Called 'World's Best'
Ronaldo now has the chance to get the "world's best" tag from Argentine player Messi, who announced his retirement from international football after the finals defeat versus Chile for the Copa America 2016 title.
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After the Argentine player announced his retirement, debates on who is superior between him and Ronaldo started surfacing online, with many saying that Messi is a lesser player than the Portugal superstar.
How Can Portugal Win?
Portugal would need to really score in this match against Poland to defeat their opponents and advance to the next round of the competition. The Polish players are determined to bring home a win versus Ronaldo's team with the help of main man Robert Lewandowski. Another expected star in the Poland roster is Xherdan Shaqiri, a strong offensive player for the team.
Portugal is a Strong Team
On the other hand, Portugal midfielder Nani said that their fans will enjoy the matchup versus Poland on Thursday night.
"The group is excellent, young, all demonstrating team spirit, all pulling in the same direction and this has been one of the factors that shows we are stronger," he said. "We have all the conditions to go as far as possible."
For his part, Portugal coach Fernando Santos mentioned that they previously had a strong match with Croatia, which required tactics from the players and the coaching team. He noted that the team knows what it takes to win a game even with a strong competitor.
Teams' History
The upcoming fight will be the third match between the two teams in a major competitions and their first-ever for the European tournament. Both teams have secured a win — Poland in 1986 and Portugal in 2002.
It should, however, be noted that the Portugal team has not tasted defeat in their past 11 fights with coach Santos, so Poland needs to be prepared to fight this powerful lineup.
How Can I Watch the Game?
Thursday night's match will happen at the Stade Velodorme in Marseille with the kickoff scheduled at 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $95 to $1,200. The game will also be broadcasted via ITV1 with a livestream coverage on this link.
