Budapest (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo alone in the pantheon of Euro scorers: with an inaugural double against Hungary (3-0), the Portuguese superstar became on Tuesday the only top scorer in the history of the tournament (11 goals), leaving behind him Michel Platini and his 9 goals.

“CR7” has been a phenomenon of longevity for years and at 36 the Juventus Turin striker continues to stretch his story endlessly.

It took the crowded bleachers of the Puskas Arena in Budapest, where 68,000 people were able to take place in the only stadium without a sanitary gauge for this Euro, to witness this historic moment in several ways.

Holder Tuesday, Ronaldo became the first player to play five different Euros, the Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas having been selected for five tournaments without necessarily playing.

Above all, his double at the end of the match from the penalty spot (87th) then close (90th + 2) placed him in a whole new dimension: he is now alone at the top of the ranking of scorers in the history of the Euro after have scored in each of the five editions he has played.

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"The important thing was to win," reacted Ronaldo, elected man of the match.

"It was a tough game, Hungary defended very well for 90 minutes. We scored three goals and I'm very grateful to the team for helping me score twice," he said. aware of the importance of this success in the most raised group of this Euro with also France and Germany.

"It was essential to start on the right foot to gain confidence. Now you have to continue and win the next match" on Saturday against the Germans, he said.

- The instinct of the finisher -

It's always the same with Cristiano Ronaldo: he multiplies the opportunities, he gets annoyed when the ball does not reach him but he is a clinical finish when he has the opportunity.

His match was not always memorable, such as when he criticized Diogo Jota for not having shifted him into the box (5th) or when he sent over a recovery from close range when the cage seemed open (43rd).

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But when Raphaël Guerreiro opened the scoring with a lucky backhand shot (84th), things settled down and the instinct of finisher Ronaldo did the rest ...

We are talking about a striker who was crowned top scorer in Serie A this season (29 goals with Juventus) and who also remains the top scorer in the history of the Champions League, the most prestigious European Cup in clubs (134 goals).

With 106 achievements in 176 international matches, the Portuguese star is also aiming for the absolute record of 109 national goals, held since 2006 by Iranian Ali Daei.

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But don't tell him about those records: the Madeira striker only dreams of one thing, to keep the European crown he won in 2016, which is probably his only chance to win a sixth Ballon d'Or for best player in the world. to match his great rival Lionel Messi.

Pass Platini?

"It's not a record that makes me effusive. It's a good record, but for me the best record would be winning the Euro twice in a row," he said on Monday.

Three years after a 2018 World Cup that ended for Portugal in the round of 16, with a defeat against Uruguay (2-1), Ronaldo had to be at the rendezvous of the Euro.

He did not disappoint on Tuesday, in the competition of which he is now the only king of scorers.

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