With Cristiano Ronaldo's Euro 2012 tournament finally springing into life with two well-taken goals against Holland on Sunday; I thought it pertinent to assess the significance of this particular tournament for the stoic Madeiran.
When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid in 2009, he was undoubtedly the world's finest talent. Los Blanco's new £80 million man had just completed three sensational seasons at Old Trafford, scoring a total of 91 goals, which spearheaded Manchester United's charge to three league-titles, a European Cup, one league cup and a Club World Cup.
This was man viewed by all and sundry as our generations answer to the likes of Pele, Cruyff, Best and Maradona. He had seen off the technically brilliant Kaka with his idiosyncratic power and determination, and had guided Manchester United back to pinnacle of European football. Now at the Santiago Bernabeu, he could re-write history - or so we thought.
Some of us failed, rather dismissively, to acknowledge arguably the greatest raw talent that the world has ever seen - Lionel Messi. Ronaldo's first campaign in Madrid could be accurately defined as a trophy-famine; the player himself was impressive; scoring a more than respectable 33 goals, but his Real teammates fell far wide of the mark. Messi on the other hand, along with his Harlem Globetrotter esc Catalonians, have re-written the metaphorical football manual. Helping themselves to a magnanimous quantity of silverware; beautifully complimented by the fast, precise and even poetic style of football that they play.
Messi's rise to the lofty echelons of world football inevitably cast a dark shadow over some of Europe's other great protagonists. Xavi and Iniesta are two of the greatest football minds of our generation; I could watch them play all day, the effortless way in which they operate, carrying such grace and poise is enough to make any lover of the beautiful game swoon. However, similar to Paul Scholes at Manchester United, Xavi and Iniesta are two of footballs quiet men; they are happy to play the game they love whilst leaving the accolades to others - namely Messi. The same cannot be said of Ronaldo.
Being second is something that does not sit well with a man like him; it just does not register at any level. He is a player bred to win; the equivalent to a thoroughbred racehorse and with a build that would not see him as an anomaly in a Roman Gladiatorial Amphitheatre. Style aside, Ronaldo is far more substance than some would have you believe. This is someone who knows he has God-given gift and he has shown that he is more than willing to nurture it. Some cringe at this perceived arrogance whilst others find it humorous - endearing even. He might shop at Armani and Gucci but spending time indulging upon a little retail therapy is not at the expense of some hard graft on the training ground. A meticulous perfectionist is an apt way to describe the Madeiran who spends hour upon hour scrutinising his own craft on the training ground whilst many of his teammates are long gone. You only have to look at his free kick routine, something that appears polished to almost military precision; Ronaldo is not someone who merely 'turns up on a Saturday' - so to speak.
Whilst some in the game seek anonymity, Ronaldo is an altogether different proposition. He craves greatness - it is almost hardwired in. He wants to his name to be uttered alongside the likes of Pele and Ronaldo's fellow countrymen Eusebio, when people talk about the best ever. Referring once again to classical antiquity, he is like a Spartan warrior, trained to within an inch of his life to do what he does; but not only to just do it, but also to do it to an almost unprecedented high standard.
It is common knowledge that Ronaldo believes 2011/12 to be his year. After two years of an Argentinian hegemony, Ronaldo feels that his time for recognition has come and Euro 2012 poses the obvious platform to hammer home this assertion. This is why I have been paying particular attention to his exploits for Portugal. His sluggish start to the tournament sprung into life against a disjointed and dispirited Holland side on Sunday night. The cries of 'Messi, Messi, Messi' directed towards Ronaldo in Portugal's recent game with Denmark clearly rankled with him, and he responded in the only way he knows.
Accused, on more than one occasion during his career, of shirking responsibility in games of huge magnitude; Ronaldo put in an excellent performance, leading his team into the knock-out stages. It reminded me of Manchester United's 2007/08 European campaign in which Ronaldo proved to his critics that he could hack it in the Champions League. He scoried a number of pivotal goals including a stunning header in the final.
Now, it would be churlish of me to suggest that Ronaldo's performance against a Netherlands outfit, which may well have peaked in 2010, was anywhere near as crucial as those in the aforementioned campaign; but it is this steely resolve that has brought Ronaldo to where he is today. If this proves to be the straw that broke the camel's back then Ronaldo's star could rise higher yet. A golden boot or possibly even a tournament winner's medal would cement his greatness beyond all lingering doubts.