France are favourites, but we will be champions: Ronaldo

Santos and the veteran Pepe, who declared himself fit after missing the semi with a thigh muscle problem, said Portugal wanted finally to lift a major trophy after cruelly missing out in the 2004 final against Greece when they were hosts.

While his free-kicks have not been of its usual standard, Cristiano Ronaldo has had quite a major influence on his team’s games.

Ronaldo carried his nation’s hopes and, as team talisman, led Portugal to the final, trying to claim one of the few prizes missing from his glittering trophy cabinet: an worldwide tournament win.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo said France will be favourites to win the Euro Cup this time, but he still believes his team can cause an upset here on Sunday.

“It is not only Ronaldo who is a threat from set pieces. I am sure that if we had reached the final we would have won it”.

France right-back Bacary Sagna echoed similar sentiments.

Griezmann was just a teenager starting out his professional career at Real Sociedad when French football experienced one of its lowest points at the 2010 World Cup. “I won’t hide the fact that the best place to be is out there as a player”.

He said UEFA’s Referees Committee had sent match officials to see each team before the tournament, listening to them and explaining what would happen during games.

Defender Bacary Sagna said the 2010 revolt over a dispute between striker Nicolas Anelka and then-coach Raymond Domenech “was clearly a mistake” that had scarred the national side. “In a final, the goal is to win rather than to play attractive football”. He even contributed to the goal scored by Nani in the same match.

Having been criticized for their performances thus far in the tournament, Portugal wont their first game in 90 minutes’ time in the semi-finals (a 2-0 win over Wales).

Santos has been hailed for the way he has created a united team – featuring veterans such as Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma and teenager Renato Sanches – to support Ronaldo. “Some of them played in the Champions League final”. Football pundits says Deschamps would retain the 4-2-3-1 formation he used against Germany three days ago. Griezmann has a lovely touch, a sublime left foot, and his six goals have lit up the tournament.

Griezmann has already had a tearful tournament exit, having cried on the pitch at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana after France lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals.

Ronaldo is now the joint highest scorer alongside French legend Michel Platini in European Championship history with nine goals, and holds the record for most headed goals with five. Can he lead this star-studded squad to another piece of silverware on home soil? He’s important to the French team but it’s important that we don’t focus too much on one man.