"He wants to play and keep playing" - Jose Fonte speaks about Cristiano Ronaldo 's future
Portugal defender Jose Fonte has said that Cristiano Ronaldo will continue playing football beyond the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Fonte believes the 37-year-old striker will at least play professional football up until the next Euro in 2024.
Both players helped Portugal qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar during the current international break.
After failing to qualify through European quotas, Portugal were placed in the pool against Turkey, Italy and North Macedonia. Portugal beat Turkey and North Macedonia to seal their birth at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Speaking to White and Jordan on talkSPORT, Fonte said that Ronaldo is fit enough to not only play the 2024 Euros as well. He said:
“I think he’s left it pretty clear in his last interview, he’s the one who decides his future. I think that physically he feels good, he feels great. If he had the chance to win it and the chance to keep performing at the highest stages then he’ll keep playing, as he said.''
He added:
“Nobody knows exactly what he has in his mind, so only he can decide his future. He wants to play and keep playing so I would assume that he will be in Qatar, and not only in Qatar but in the next Euros at least.”
The five-time Ballon d'Or made his debut for the Portugal national team in 2003 and has been a part of all the FIFA World Cups since then. He helped Portugal win the 2016 Euro tournament and the inaugural UEFA Nations League title in 2019 as well.
On This Day: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a bizarre free kick goal against Osasuna in 2012
On this day, the Portuguese scored an outrageous goal from the half-way line in Real Madrid's 5-1 win over Osasuna in La Liga. He scored a brace and provided two assists in the game against Osasuna in 2012.
Gonzalo Higuain added two goals to Real Madrid's tally while Karim Benzema scored the opener. Los Blancos won the La Liga title that year by 100 points, losing just two games in the entire domestic league season.
La Liga rates this goal as the Portuguese's second-best goal in the Spanish top flight. You can watch the video compilation of Ronaldo's top-10 goals in La Liga here, with the goal against Osasuna being in second spot.