Cristiano Ronaldo's team-mates from game in which he scored his first Portugal goal and where they are now

CRISTIANO RONALDO scored his 110th and 111th international goals in Portugal's 2-1 win against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday.

It's been SEVENTEEN YEARS since the returning Manchester United icon scored his first international goal – and a lot has changed since.


Ronaldo's first strike at senior level for Portugal was against Greece in their Euro 2004 opener on home turf – a game he didn't start.

Only Ronaldo is still playing from that team – at either club or international level – as the 36-year-old continues to defy the odds.

Here, SunSport tracks down the 11 Portugal players who started that 2-1 defeat to Greece…

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GK – Ricardo

RICARDO was Portugal's undisputed no1 goalkeeper during the mid-noughties, going on to pick up 79 international caps.

He was plying his trade for Ronaldo's former club Sporting Lisbon in 2004 and went on to join Spanish side Real Betis in 2007.

After a brief stint at then Championship outfit Leicester City in 2011, the stopper went on to finish his career at Olhanense in 2014.

RB – Paulo Ferreira

FERREIRA was one of Portugal's main stars during Euro 2004, helping Porto win the Champions League under Jose Mourinho a few weeks before.

The right-back followed Mourinho to Chelsea after the tournament and went on to win 11 major trophies at Stamford Bridge.

He retired from playing in 2013 and has since remained at Chelsea, working as an ambassador and coach.

CB – Jorge Andrade

ANDRADE was at Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna when Portugal reached the final of Euro 2004, leaving the club three years later.

He went on to have an injury-hit spell at Juventus, managing just five games in two years before retiring in his early thirties.

The defender later moved into coaching, enjoying stints at Portuguese sides Atletico and Oriental.

CB – Fernando Couto

COUTO was at Lazio when Ronaldo scored his first international goal after previously spending time at Porto, Parma and Barcelona.

The defender returned to Parma in 2005 and spent the final three years of his career at the Italian giants.

He has since moved into coaching, enjoying a spell as Braga's assistant manager between 2012 and 2014.

LB – Rui Jorge

JORGE was another player coming towards the end of his career at Euro 2004 after spells at Porto and Sporting Lisbon.

The left-back moved into coaching and he became manager of Belenenses in 2009 before becoming Portugal U21 boss a year later.

He's remained in that position since, helping them reach two U21 Euros finals in 2015 and 2021.

CM – Costinha

COSTINHA was another experienced figure in the Portugal team after spells with Oriental, Machico, Nacional, Monaco and Porto.

The defensive midfielder left Porto in 2005, appearing for Dynamo Moscow, Atletico Madrid and Atalanta before retiring in 2010.

He then became a manager and is currently in his second stint with Nacional after spending time at Beira-Mar, Pacos Ferreira and Academica.

CM – Maniche

MANICHE was one of the stars of Euro 2004, helping Portugal reach the final with an array of stunning performances.

The Porto midfielder left the club in 2005 and enjoyed spells with Dynamo Moscow, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Koln and Sporting.

He retired in 2011 and moved into coaching, becoming Costinha's assistant at Pacos in 2013 and later holding the same position at Academica.

RM – Figo

FIGO was undoubtedly the star of this Portugal team after a glittering playing career for Sporting, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The Ballon d'Or winner moved to Inter Milan in 2005 and spent the final four years of his career with the Italian giants.

He remains a prominent figure in global football and ran to become Fifa president in 2015 – later dropping out of the race.

AM – Rui Costa

COSTA was a regular at AC Milan when Portugal reached the final of Euro 2004, signing for Benfica two years later.

He retired from playing in 2008 and immediately became director of football at Benfica, hiring future Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores.

Costa is currently the club's interim president after chief Luis Filipe Vieira was arrested on suspicion of several crimes, including tax fraud, in July.

LM – Simao Sabrosa

SIMAO was one of the younger players in Portugal's experienced team and didn't retire from playing until 2015.

The former Sporting Lisbon and Barcelona star left Benfica in 2007 for Atletico Madrid, later enjoying spells at Besiktas and Espanyol.

He returned to Benfica in 2017 to become head of international relations and continues to work at the Portuguese club.

ST – Pauleta

PAULETA went on to retire as Portugal's record goalscorer with 47 goals in 88 appearances – only for Ronaldo to shatter the record.

The Paris Saint-Germain star remained at the club until his retirement in 2008, earlier experiencing spells with Deportivo and Bordeaux.

The striker did briefly come out of retirement to play for amateurs Sao Roque in 2010, scoring twice in his only recorded appearance for the club.

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