Cristiano Ronaldo conquered Europe from the sidelines. He was the injured, hobbling unofficial coach, urging his teammates on before Eder scored the winner in the Euro 2016 final.
In another sense, he became the king of Europe on Tuesday. The record scorer in the histories of Real Madrid, Portugal and the Champions League became the outright leader in European Championship history.
A late brace took him past Michel Platini and to 11 goals. The comparison is of opposites; Platini’s nine goals all came in 1984; no one has ever dominated a European Championship like he did then but, like many of Ronaldo’s records, his is a triumph of relentlessness. He has scored in this competition at 19 and at 36. There was something symbolic in the fact he had to wait 87 minutes before scoring his first goal in the 3-0 win over Hungary.
Rewind 17 years and his first strike on this stage was closer in time to Marco van Basten’s volley against the Soviet Union than today. Ronaldo has played in five European Championships and scored in all. His impact was already such that only he and Paolo Maldini have been named in the team of three different tournaments. He had been picked in Uefa’s all-time European Championships XI even before the 2016 triumph.
He has been two players in one, the showman and the statistician, the youngster defined by flicks and tricks and the veteran with a single-minded focus on finishing. His former captain Roy Keane, a man more given to dispensing criticism than praise, said: “The guy is a genius, he is one of the greatest players of all time, he is a machine, a beast.”
And yet he had an inauspicious start. Ronaldo’s Euro 2004 debut was the curtain-raiser against Greece. Luiz Felipe Scolari had gone with the old guard and Portugal were 1-0 down before the prodigy came on. He promptly conceded a penalty to make it 2-0.
His eventual strike was a consolation goal, assisted by Luis Figo, whose mantle as Portugal’s greatest winger he was to assume. He scored again in the semi-final win over Holland, offering early evidence of his aerial ability; maybe no flair player has ever had such a prodigious leap.
His first two goals for Portugal came in a European Championships; so did his two most recent. That he got exactly 100 in between is testament to his ridiculous rate of scoring. One came in Euro 2008, against the Czech Republic, and if that felt a slight return after a 42-goal season for Manchester United, his three assists made him the tournament’s most creative player.
In Euro 2012, there was a clinical match-winning brace against Holland, World Cup finalists two years earlier, with each offering evidence of his pace to take Portugal through and then a quarter-final decider against the Czechs; it was another superb header and made him the tournament’s joint top scorer.
Euro 2016 brought three more goals. A group-stage double spared Portugal defeat to Hungary and the first, an impudent backheeled flick, ranks as his finest goal in this tournament. Another towering header against Wales in the semi-final took Portugal to a second final; for the second time, Ronaldo, with three assists, was the scorer who doubled up as the joint best creator.
Only Karel Poborsky has ever registered more assists at the European Championships than Ronaldo. If a selfish streak could propel him past Ali Daei’s record of 109 international goals, a selfless one could help him earn another unique distinction. A man defined by his rivalry with Lionel Messi could reign supreme in a competition his arch-enemy cannot enter.
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Company%20profile
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The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Sweet%20Tooth
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New schools in Dubai
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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