The secret to Cristiano Ronaldo's longevity on the field is "a lot of dedication and hard work," as revealed in an interview granted to UEFA by the Portuguese forward, about to play his sixth Euro.

"If a player wants to have longevity, they must have a great capacity for adaptation and the necessary characteristics for it. That's what I've tried to do. It's no coincidence that I've been playing at the highest level for 20 years," declared Cristiano.

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"Maintaining that performance is very difficult. Only with a lot of dedication and hard work can you achieve those figures," he added.

Despite his long and illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, stated that "there are always things to improve."

"I think I'm a complete player, but there are always things I can perfect. With age, you discover that there are things we weren't so good at in the past, and we also start to lose some faculties, so it's important to try to adapt," he commented.

Cristiano, formerly of Real Madrid and currently a player for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, will play his sixth Euro in Germany, more than any other player in history, something that makes him feel "proud."

"I am very excited because it demonstrates the longevity of my career," he opined, "however, it is nothing more than a chapter of what Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved in football."

The Portuguese national team, led by Spanish coach Roberto Martínez, is for Cristiano a team "with incredible talent" that "will bring a lot of joy to the fans."

The group leading on the field has "all the ingredients to win" the 2024 Euro and repeat the triumph achieved in 2016, although he prefers to "take it step by step, game by game."

"Now we have our feet on the ground, but our minds in the sky to look up and see that it's possible to win the Euro" he pointed out.

The captain of the 'seleção' also spoke about how he sees himself as a leader and stated that he wants "to be a player who helps others" and someone whom his teammates "can admire, be seen as a role model, and be a good professional."

"I like to lead by example, as I often say. I'm not one to talk much, but I like to show them who I am," he declared.

Cristiano will return to the field this Tuesday to play Portugal's last preparation match against Ireland.

In Germany, the Portuguese will be grouped in Group F, along with the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Georgia.