Quick-fire goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani were enough to end Wales’ Euro 2016 run and send Portugal through to Sunday’s final with a 2-0 semifinal win.
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Portugal beat Wales in their semi-final encounter on Wednesday night, the first time Fernando Santos’ side have won a match inside 90 minutes throughout the tournament.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to fulfil a lifelong dream and lead his country to their first ever global tournament win by shocking hosts France or world champions Germany in Sunday’s Euro 2016 final.
The acknowledged stars of the team, Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, have also been touched by what Bale described as “an awesome journey”.
If Mario needs advice on leaving Portugal for one of Europe’s bigger leagues, he only has to look across the dressing room at Ronaldo and Ricardo Carvalho.
“We always wanted to test ourselves against the best and I think we’ve done everybody proud – including ourselves”. Without them, and neither team would have probably reached the last four of this competition.
Portugal, who lost the 2004 final to Greece on home soil, are now on a 10-match losing streak against France stretching back to 1975. “I hope they go and win it”.
Donning red T-shirts bearing the words “DIOLCH” and “MERCI” – “thank you” in Welsh and French – Coleman’s players applauded the fans inside the stadium in Lyon after the final whistle and were met with a voluble chorus of: “We love you Wales, we do!”
Ronaldo is on course to break the world frivolous appeals record.
But that did not stop the world’s focus being on the two players and which one would shine the most.
It left Wales with a mountain to climb, but Ledley says he would have Bale over Ronaldo any day. We said all along, we don’t just want to qualify for this tournament; we want to qualify for major tournaments every time we go into qualifiers.
Portugal will face either hosts France or world champions Germany in the summit clash at the Stade de France in Paris.
The side had surpassed expectations throughout the tournament, topping the group and going on to chalk up victories against Northern Ireland and Belgium in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Portugal – defying pre-tournament expectations – is heading to Saint-Denis as Ronaldo chases that elusive global title.
“They could only give what they had and we looked a bit exhausted tonight”.
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“Obviously I’ve always had the ambition and the desire and the belief that I could get there (to the Portugal team)”, Fonte said this week.
