LEIPZIG: Superstar Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo is determined to make more European Championship history this summer.

The veteran forward, 39, says his team “deserve” to win another major international trophy to add to their singular triumph, at Euro 2016.

Portugal kick off their tournament against Czech Republic in Leipzig on Tuesday with Ronaldo set to start and appear at a record-extending sixth Euros.

Roberto Martinez’s side qualified with a 100 percent record and should progress with ease from Group F, which also contains Turkiye and Georgia.

“I believe this generation deserves to win a competition of this magnitude,” Ronaldo told reporters upon arrival in Germany, setting his sights on the Henri Delaunay trophy.

The former Real Madrid hitman triumphed with Portugal in 2016 but limped off injured against France in the final, with Eder firing the team to glory in extra time.

Now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, Ronaldo netted twice against the Republic of Ireland in a tuneup friendly last week to extend his international goals record to 130.

Thus far, 14 of those have come at European Championships, making him the competition’s all-time top scorer ahead of France great Michel Platini on nine.

Ronaldo first appeared at the tournament in 2004 on home soil, scoring against eventual winners Greece on his Euros debut, and he has also struck in every edition since.

The forward has 25 appearances at the finals, missing only one game at the tournament on the five occasions he has been selected as part of Portugal’s squad.

If Ronaldo nets in Germany he will become the oldest-ever Euros goalscorer, with the current record set by Austria’s Ivica Vastic in 2008, scoring at 38 years and 257 days old.

“I enjoy football; records are a consequence, so for me it’s not a target, because I think they come naturally,” said Ronaldo.

“I’m happy to have a sixth European Championship and it’s about enjoying it in the best way, playing well, making sure the team can win, trying to give my all and enjoying it.”

Many believed Ronaldo’s time was finally up on the international stage when he was dropped for the last two matches of Portugal’s 2022 World Cup campaign after failing to score from open play in the three group games.

However, Martinez has stuck by the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Ronaldo started every qualifier he was available for, scoring eight goals in the process.

Despite his long and storied international career, Ronaldo said he still suffers with nerves after a men’s record 207 caps for his country.

“There’s always that tingling in the stomach, especially the day before the game, but that’s normal, that’s part of it and I’m glad I feel it, because when I don’t feel it, it’s better to give up and stop,” said the forward.

“I still feel quite motivated, it’s a different competition and we’re all prepared.”

Ronaldo’s ambition is fuel for his teammates to thrive on.

“Knowing Cristiano, he’ll always think big, and we’ll keep up with him,” Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot told a news conference Saturday.

“He’s the one who’s won the most among us... if we all realize that we have to go step by step, we can go far and I’m confident of that.”

While Portugal are among the favorites to lift the trophy, the Czech Republic have not gone beyond the quarterfinals for 20 years.

Like their opponents the Czechs have lifted the trophy on one occasion — in 1976 as Czechoslovakia.

A three-man defense with two wing-backs led by Slavia Prague’s Tomas Holes must find a way to stop Ronaldo if they are to start strongly.

However, few sides have managed that since Portugal’s talisman took the stage two decades ago.

One of the few challenges left for Ronaldo at the tournament is to score a hat trick, last achieved by Spain’s David Villa in 2008.

SARDINIA: Sharjah Team’s Rusty Wyatt scored a commanding victory in the Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy on Sunday to take the lead in the F1H2O World Championship as Team Abu Dhabi suffered a double setback in Olbia.

Wyatt secured his second powerboat grand prix win of the season in a race littered with early withdrawals, including Emirati driver Thani Al-Qemzi and his Abu Dhabi team-mate Alberto Comparato, as well as Victory Team’s world-title-chasing Erik Stark.

After qualifying second behind Wyatt, Al-Qemzi had raised his hopes by winning the first of the morning sprint races, and he was looking to close the gap on the Canadian before his race was agonisingly cut short by technical problems on the eighth of 40 laps.

By then, Estonia’s Stefan Arand and Comparato had already made early exits, and they were soon followed by Stark, who had arrived on the Mediterranean island as the championship leader.

There were no problems however for Wyatt, the first-round winner in Indonesia, who had the luxury of being able to slow down on the last lap and still win by 12 seconds from Frenchman Peter Morin, with Poland’s Bartek Marszalek taking the third podium spot.

Sweden’s reigning world champion Jonas Andersson made a big move on the day, climbing from 14th at the rolling start to a fifth-place finish behind Norway’s Marit Stromoy.

It was a particularly frustrating day for Al-Qemzi, who had shown in qualifying and sprint race action that he was full of confidence in the new boat he was driving for the first time, and that he remains a genuine threat.

The Emirati driver, who made his F1H2O debut in 2020, had secured 10 championship points when he overcame a big challenge from Morin to win the second of the morning sprint races, which had been postponed 24 hours earlier by high winds.

As a rolling start brought the GP to life, Wyatt manged to hold off Al-Qemzi before the race was brought to a halt seconds later when Estonia’s Stefan Arand barrel-rolled. Finland’s Sami Selio soon joined him on the sidelines.

Wyatt had earlier bagged the 10-point bonus with a start-to-finish victory in the first sprint race, holding Andersson at bay in the early stages before pulling away for a comfortable win.