Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Insider
It is easy to forget it now, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s only major international trophy came in a tournament where Portugal failed to win any of its first three games.
At Euro 2016, Portugal squeezed out of its group in third place before going on a dream run to win the title, a reality that puts into focus some of the agonizing over the importance of looking good in the preliminary stage.
“A good start is important,” Ronaldo said in 2018, reflecting on the 2016 Euros triumph. “A good finish is more important.”
That might be of some solace to 2021 finalists England and Italy, both of whom struggled on Thursday and took a significant dip in the latest edition of the FOX Sports Euro 2024 power rankings.
Spain remains top on account of its lively display against the Italians, with host nation Germany a strong second and France remaining in third after a scoreless tie with the Netherlands on Friday.
Instant reaction: Should France be happy with result vs. the Netherlands?
POWER RANKINGS
- Spain: Made an outstanding start.
- Germany: Still riding wave of momentum.
- France: Still on course after sitting Mbappé.
- Portugal: Got the job done.
- Netherlands: Firmly on track.
- England: Wanted to improve on Game 1. Couldn’t.
- Romania: Confident and aggressive.
- Turkey: Eyeing the knockout stage.
- Austria (+5): Controls its own destiny.
- Italy: Weak defense of title to date.
- Switzerland: Big test lies ahead.
- Denmark: Was the better side against England.
- Slovakia (-4): Full of toughness and fire.
- Ukraine (+10): Made a superb resurgence.
- Slovenia (-2): Was so close to first Euros win.
- Czechia (-1): Too many mistakes cost them.
- Serbia (-1): Late point gives some hope.
- Croatia: Hugely disappointing so far.
- Belgium: Looked completely disjointed.
- Scotland: Much better in second game.
- Albania: Spirited but limited defensively
- Poland (-5): Facing tough road now.
- Georgia (-1): Battled hard but not enough.
- Hungary (-1): Over-matched so far.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
UEFA Euro
Get more from UEFA Euro Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more