Cristiano Ronaldo hoisted aloft the silverware that comes proposed that it meant every bit as much as all of the prizes he has won in the earlier for club and country.
It is not the World Cup or European Championship, but it is a weighty, sparkling trophy.
It is the qualification process to reach the four-team finals.
It is a remarkable success story and one that has been driven largely by Ronaldo’s unique talents for the past 15 years.
Should we take Portugal’s latest success as a sign of their dominance as a force in Europe or nothing more than helping to measure the current temperature of the continent’s leading teams?
Emerging players such as defenders Ruben Dias and Nelson Semedo and forwards Guedes and Joao Felix ensure that the Portuguese can contend as they defend their continental crown next year.
