Can Ronaldo lead Portugal to Euro 2016 crown?

Without a shadow of a doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best footballers of all-time and the Portugal captain is desperate to lead his nation to a major title before he hangs up his boots.

The Real Madrid striker has scored 49 goals in 48 appearances for club and country this season and he will be looking to take his phenomenal form into this summer’s European Championship in France.

Ronaldo will also have one eye on the tournament’s Golden Boot award, which is presented to the player who has scored the most goals throughout the competition. At the time of writing, the Portuguese star is priced at 8/1 with Coral to win this accolade and plenty of punters will be placing a Euro 2016 bet on this – especially considering his form for Real Madrid this season.

On his day, Ronaldo is almost unstoppable and he has almost single-handedly guided his nation through various major competitions in the past. Back in November 2013, Ronaldo scored all four of Portugal’s goals in a two-legged playoff with Sweden to secure their spot at the 2014 World Cup and the hopes of an entire nation will once again rest with him and his ability to motivate his team-mates.

But it’s not just about Ronaldo. Whilst the Portugal captain is always worth a bet on to score, Fernando Santos has a plethora of talent at his disposal. The likes of Renato Sanches, Nani and Ricardo Quaresma are all capable of standing up and leading their nation to the latter stages of the competition. Sanches in particular is a supreme talent and the 18-year-old will be full of confidence after signing for Bayern Munich earlier this month.

If Portugal play to their potential, there’s no reason why Santos’ men cannot go all the way and compete for European glory this summer. As of May 12th, Portugal are priced at 20/1 in Coral’s betting markets and plenty of tipsters will be offering Euro 2016 bet advice on Ronaldo and co. They may be dark horses this summer but Portugal certainly have the experience – with many of their big names boasting an impressive haul of caps.

While there are a number of ‘better’ teams in the competition, it would be foolish to write Portugal off. Ronaldo’s ability to change a game in a split-second gives the Portuguese a distinct advantage but being one of the best on the planet also brings added pressure. Ultimately, Portugal’s hopes lie on whether Ronaldo can cope with the pressure or if he falls short for the second major tournament in a row.