Euro 2024: Rooney Wants England vs Portugal Final, Explains Why He Wants To See CR7's Nation Beaten

• Former England striker, Wayne Rooney, has disclosed his dream final for the ongoing 2024 European Championship
• The former Manchester United star wants an England versus Portugal grand finale on July 14 and has explained why
• In terms of history, the Three Lions have lost against Portugal in their last two competitive games via penalty shots

Wayne Rooney has revealed his ideal match-up for the 2024 UEFA European Championship final on July 14, hoping to see England face off against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

The iconic English striker, who made his Euros debut in 2004, has favoured a showdown between his home country and the Selecao.

England and Portugal are considered top contenders for this year's title, along with Germany, Spain, and France.

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Germany and Spain have lived up to expectations, securing victories in their first two group games. In contrast, Les Bleus have struggled, picking a draw and a win so far.

Euro 2024: How have England and Portugal performed so far?

England has struggled to find their rhythm.

Gareth Southgate's squad eked out a 1-0 win over Serbia in their Group C opener and then put on a lacklustre performance against Denmark, resulting in a 1-1 draw, Eurosport reports.

Despite these challenges, England remains poised to advance to the knockout stage. They lead their group with four points, and a positive result against Slovenia will secure their spot as group winners.

Portugal, meanwhile, demonstrated their resilience by overcoming a deficit to secure a dramatic 2-1 win against the Czech Republic, during which Ronaldo made history as the first player to compete in six different Euros.

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They then showcased their dominance with a commanding 3-0 victory over Turkey, ensuring their early progression to the Round of 16, CNN reports.

Why Rooney wants England-Portugal final

Rooney explained his preference for an England-Portugal final, citing personal motivations behind his choice.

"Just because of my experience, I would say Portugal [as the team I want England to beat the most]," he forecasted, as cited by The NassrZone.

The ex-Manchester United star added: "I was injured against them in 2004, sent off in 2006, and they beat us on penalties both times.

"I would like to see England beat Portugal in the Euro 2024 final," Rooney added.

Euro 2024: How each team can reach Round of 16

In an earlier publication, Sports Brief examined the requirements for each Euro team of the third round of matches, which will be played simultaneously.

Eight teams will be eliminated after the group stages, while the remaining 16 advance to the knockout stages as the race to the July 14 finals intensifies.

This analysis was conducted after each team had played two matches and focused solely on predicting the group winners and runners-up for them all.