3 reasons why Ronaldo may never again play tournament football for Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest football players to have ever graced the field. He has more individual records and honours than most if not all of his peers. The Portuguese international has achieved a lot when it comes to club football. He went a step further by captaining his nation to the European Championship title in 2016.
After setting the building blocks at Manchester United where he won multiple titles, he went on to become a club legend at Real Madrid. He was an integral part of muscling the fear factor from Barcelona as the dominant force in Spanish football.
It is said that one good turn deserves another. Ronaldo has made this possible by dazzling the football world with his talent and ruthless goal-scoring exploits.
At Juventus, he has steadily come alive to score at least a goal in every three games. This is truly a wonderful return given that he is 33 years old. He may not be the workaholic of a winger he was at United but he sure has not shown any signs of slowing down in front of goal. He is still a winner and strives to continue being the very best at what he does.
At, 33, he has not featured for Portugal since the 2018 FIFA World Cup in June. His nation was eliminated in the last 16 and that probably put a dagger through Ronaldo's tournament career at international level.
While he has hinted at playing till his late 30's, combining international football with club football may prove difficult especially with his advancing age.
#3 Fatigue
Professional footballers have to contend with long seasons and a huge chunk of matches. They also have the obligation of representing their countries.
Ronaldo is a physical specimen who plays like he is ten years younger. However, fulfilling his duty to Portugal may prove to be a daunting task especially with the next major tournament being Euro 2020.
He is currently on a self-imposed break from the national team until March 2019 according to various reports. Part of his reasons is to focus on his new career at Juventus where he hopes to be the final piece of the puzzle that brings the UEFA Champions League to Turin.
Absence from international duty gives him more time to replenish his energy and thus prolong his club career.