Mohammadi News Agency News – Features – Photo
MNA Sports Desk: France faces Ronaldo in poignant Euro final. Cristiano Ronaldo’s battle-hardened Portugal, stand between hosts France and a cathartic conquest in Sunday’s Euro 2016 final at Stade de France.
The sports ground was besieged by suicide bombers during France’s friendly against Germany last November in attacks across Paris that left 130 people deceased.
Following a joyous semi-final victory over Germany, France aim to prevail in a third major final on home soil after the 1984 European Championship and 1998 World Cup.
“There are lots of fervor and lots of joy and happiness in France,” France coach Didier Deschamps said after the 2-0 win over Germany in Marseille.
“It’s a really great story. We don’t claim to have the power to solve all the problems of the French people. But we have the power to generate emotions and make them forget their worries.”
Griezmann missed a penalty for Atletico Madrid in their Champions League final beat by Real Madrid in May and made a poor start to the Euro in France’s 2-1 win over Romania.
After coming on to net a 90th-minute opener against Albania, he has appeared as the star of the event, scoring in knockout-phase wins over the Republic of Ireland, Iceland and Germany.
With six goals—three more than any other player—the 25-year-old is in line for both the Golden Boot and the UEFA player of the tournament prize.
However, Ronaldo served a well-timed reminder of his capability to choose a game with a luminous bullet header in Portugal’s 2-0 semi-final win over Wales.
Having turned 31 in February, the Real Madrid star knows he may not get an enhanced chance to encourage his country to a first major international trophy.
Ronaldo has never made success against France, but he is not alone as Portugal has lost the last 10 meetings between the countries, stretching back to 1975.
France have twice packed down Portugal en route to Euro success, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane netting extra-time winners in the semi-finals of the 1984 and 2000 tournaments.
They also overcame them in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, before losing on penalties to Italy in what was their last major tournament final. Portugal was staggered 1-0 by Greece as hosts of Euro 2004 in their only previous major final emergence.
