"No one believed in us," Cristiano Ronaldo said eight summers ago, trying to fight back tears, and ultimately losing the battle. "No one believed in Portugal." History only shows that Portugal won the European Championship in 2016, and that it remains, at least for the next two weeks and possibly forever, the only major international trophy won by Ronaldo.
But as the 39-year-old superstar tries to do it again and prepares for his team's Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash with Slovenia on Monday (3 p.m.
ET on FOX), it is worth remembering how that triumph came about, a remarkable campaign built on the back of a catalog of catastrophes, farcical moments, near failure and gloomy form.
And for most of which, as Ronaldo accurately pointed out in the moments following the side's 1-0 victory over France in the final, no one believed in them.