Portugal vs. Spain Live: Cristiano Ronaldo Will Become Legend in Win

As of today, Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy is as the world's second-best footballer of his generation. It's a pretty good legacy to have.

But if Ronaldo can lead Portugal past Spain and eventually to a European Championship, he'll go down as one of the true legends of the game. He'll still be the second-best footballer of his generation, but who cares?

He'll have led his country to international glory. It doesn't get much better than that.

A player's legacy isn't defined by what he does on the national stage. There are plenty of mediocre players who have been a part of World Cup champions, and just as many excellent players who have never won an international tournament.

But there is something remarkably special about the world's top talents leading their country to glory, staking a claim as the best player in that country's history. Certainly a European Championship would solidify Ronaldo as the finest Portuguese player ever.

Think of it this way: Lionel Messi stands above his peers as the finest player in soccer today, but he'll always live in the shadow of Diego Maradona in Argentina if he never leads the national team to World Cup glory. It may not be fair, but that's how it goes.

Ronaldo will have to do this with some flair. Beating the defending European and World Cup champions in Spain is one thing, but beating them after scoring or being a dominant force throughout and setting up teammates to score will be key.

He'll need to win and be the hero in the process. It's not such a stretch—the odds of Portugal winning if he isn't a hero are slim and none.

And imagine then Portugal with the chance at a rematch against powerful Germany in the finals. Imagine Ronaldo dominating against the world's hottest team and ending the Germans' 16-match winning streak.

Epic.

This wouldn't just be a Euro win for Ronaldo. It would be the answer to the constant claims that he shrinks on the biggest stages. It would be international glory for a man who has found his fair share of glory at the club level. It would be victories over the two best national teams in the world, all because of his efforts.

And it would be a chance for the world's second-best footballer to look toward Argentina and say "Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Messi. I'll see you in Rio."

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets hit the mark more often than Spain's passing.