‘CR7 makes Portugal terror target’

England’s Wayne Rooney (centre) in action against Portugal in their Euro friendly at Wembley in London on Thursday. (Photo: AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence makes Portugal a more significant potential target for terror attacks during Euro 2016, according to coach Fernando Santos.

France is on high alert ahead of the tournament, which starts on June 10, following the Islamic State group terror attacks in Paris last November that left 130 people dead.

“As everybody knows, Portugal is considered one of the high-risk teams due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. But we are prepared for this,” Santos said after his side’s 1-0 friendly loss to England on Thursday.

The United States warned its citizens earlier this week that the tournament will present “potential targets for terrorists”, echoing comments by French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

A three-time Ballon d’Or winner, Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo, 31, is one of the most famous names in world sport.

He sat out Portugal’s defeat by England, having played in Real Madrid’s Champions League final triumph over Atletico Madrid in Milan last weekend, but is expected to return for their final warm-up game against Estonia in Lisbon on Wednesday.

Hodgson defends toiling trio Meanwhile, England manager Roy Hodgson was forced to defend his tactics after his side narrowly edged 10-man Portugal 1-0 in their final warm-up game prior to Euro 2016.

Hodgson fielded forwards Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy from the start, but despite Portugal losing Bruno Alves to a first-half red card, it took an 86th-minute header from centre-back Chris Smalling for his side to prevail at a subdued Wembley on Thursday.

While Rooney had been expected to support Kane and Vardy from a withdrawn role, he operated as a central striker, with the Leicester City forward and Tottenham Hotspur man in wider positions.

But Hodgson said: “We played with split strikers. When you play with that system, you need your strikers to split.

“If you play with them going down the middle and Rooney in behind them, you’d never be able to defend the wide areas. There might have been moments when they were too wide, but basically speaking that would have to be their job.”