Football Star, Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded the prestigious Platinum Quinas trophy on Monday during the Quinas de Ouro gala, recognized as an outstanding ambassador for Portugal, having accumulated over 200 caps for the national team.
At the ceremony organized by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), in partnership with the Professional Football Players’ Union (SJPF) and the National Association of Football Coaches (ANTF), Prime Minister Luís Montenegro was in attendance alongside FPF President Fernando Gomes, who lauded the captain of the ‘quinas’ national team as an excellent ambassador for Portugal.
“The most prestigious trophy is the Platinum Quinas, and if there is an ambassador for Portugal who deserves it, it is undoubtedly Cristiano Ronaldo. He has served the Portuguese national team for over 20 years.
If there is someone who has demonstrated love for representing the Portuguese team, it is Cristiano Ronaldo.
An outstanding ambassador who feels the jersey and feels Portugal,” he justified at the auditorium of the Cultural Center of Belém in Lisbon.
The 39-year-old striker for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia took to the stage and recalled his journey from earning his first cap at the age of 18 to reaching the milestone of 200.
“It is an honor to receive this trophy. I see it as a beginning. Thank you to the FPF for this award, marking a long journey filled with hard work.
At 18, my dream was to earn my first cap. Then I went to 25, 50, and why not 100? A round number, three digits, and then I started thinking about 150, 200, and it’s a tremendous feeling,” Ronaldo began, who currently boasts 216 caps and 133 goals for the national team.
He went on to praise Portugal as “a great country, regardless of its size.”
“We have everything: stadiums, magnificent coaches, potential in these players, and the stars that we have. Not just in football, but in other sports. Fernando Gomes is the best president we have ever had,” he concluded.
