‘When Ronaldo went off, we thought, ‘We’ve lost our best player, what’s going to happen now?’ But at the same time it also gave us strength’ Nani on Portugal’s historic Euro 2016 win

Nani and Ronaldo leading Portugual's Euro 2016 celebrations (Image credit: Unknown)

There’s something special about a nation winning their first-ever international honour.

The globe’s footballing heavyweights have tended to dominate World Cups and European Championships, but every so often, you’ll see a maiden triumph that will become a defining moment for that generation.

Nani on Portugal’s Euro 2016 victory

Portugal players celebrate with the trophy after winning Euro 2016 — The Euro 2016 crown was Portugual's first major honour (Image credit: Alamy)

Former Manchester United winger Nani was a key part of Fernando Santos’ victorious squad, with his semi-final goal to put Portugal 2-0 up against Wales a pivotal moment for the team.

“I celebrated with so much emotion – representing Portugal is always special,” Nani tells FourFourTwo. “Scoring in a semi-final and helping the team reach the final was indescribable.

“Then, to be part of history when we lifted the trophy, that’s something I’ll never forget. We remember that triumph with pride, because it meant so much – for the team, the country and our careers.”

The final itself was something of an emotional rollercoaster, not least because a tearful Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off injured after just 25 minutes.

“A mixture of concern and frustration,” was Nani’s reaction to this early blow. “Cristiano was fundamental for us. His presence on the pitch gave us enormous security – he always kept opponents on edge.

“When he went off, we thought, ‘We’ve lost our best player, what’s going to happen now?’ But at the same time it also gave us strength. We came together even more as a team and fought for him.”

Nani ended his international career in 2017, having turned out 112 times for his country, fewer than only Ronaldo, Joao Moutinho, Pepe and Luis Figo. So what did that mean to him?

Cristiano Ronaldo — Ronaldo lasted just 25 minutes in the Euro 2016 final (Image credit: Getty)

“A great deal,” he says. “The national team brings together great footballers, true stars, so being part of such an exclusive group was extraordinary.

"I’m extremely proud to have played a key role in winning the Euros, the most important trophy the team have won so far.

“It was a title that represented the history, effort and the dreams of an entire nation.”

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For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

With contributions from

Dani Gil

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