Portugal seek support for ronaldo's genius at euro 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo scores 5 goals, including a hat trick in just 20 minutes 

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Real Madrid's victory at the end of the Champions League quarter-finals second leg match against Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on April 22, 2015 

 Paris (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal tower above their rivals and should ease into the knockout stages at Euro 2016, but the illustrious team cannot underestimate a blossoming Austria side.

Ranked eighth in the world, Portugal cruised towards a sixth straight appearance at the finals -- in Group F against Austria, Hungary and Iceland -- by reeling off seven straight qualifying wins after an opening defeat to Albania.

But 12 years after the losing the final to Greece on home soil, Ronaldo's hopes of landing an international title appear remote unless his supporting cast can deliver where they have failed in the past.

Portugal lost on penalties to Spain in the semi-finals at Euro 2012 and then crashed out in the group stage of the World Cup in Brazil. Ronaldo, slowed by a knee injury, was then a shadow of the player who won that year's Ballon d'Or.

"If he is so important in Madrid, just imagine he's the same if not more so with Portugal," coach Fernando Santos told Spanish sports daily Marca.

"When you have a player who scores 50 or 60 goals a season, and can always score, they are vitally important.