Cristiano Ronaldo makes stance clear when asked about becoming coach after retirement
Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that he does not see himself becoming a coach after his footballing career comes to an end. In a small excerpt from an interview with Now channel set to release on Monday (August 26) night, Ronaldo said (via Ojogo):
"In my mind, at the moment, it is not about being a first team coach, or a coach of any team. I don't see my future being that way. I see myself doing other things outside of football, but only God knows what the future holds."
Ronaldo also indicated that he is not considering retirement from the Portugal national team at the moment, with his full focus on the upcoming Nations League matches. He added:
"When I leave the national team, I won’t tell anyone beforehand and it will be a very spontaneous decision on my part, but also a very well thought out one. Right now, what I want most is to help the national team in its upcoming matches. We have the Nations League coming up soon and I would really like to play there."
Cristiano Ronaldo's Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal came to an underwhelming end as they lost out to France (5-3 on penalties) in the quarterfinals. The Al-Nassr star was unable to find the net in the competition, but assisted Bruno Fernandes once in a group stage fixture against Turkiye.
At club level, Ronaldo's Al-Nassr suffered a 4-1 loss to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final. His side's Saudi Pro League campaign began with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Al-Raed. However, the Portuguese icon scored both goals for Al-Nassr in these matches.
When Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed Euro 2024 was his last European Championship
Shortly after helping Portugal qualify for the Euro quarterfinals in Germany earlier this year, Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed that the 2024 edition would be his final Euro. The Portuguese legend said (via ESPN):
"Without a doubt it's the last Euro [for me], of course it is. But I'm not emotional about that. I'm moved by everything that football entails, by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm I see in the fans, having my family here, people's passion... it's not about leaving the world of football. What else is there for me to do or win?"
In their Round of 16 tie against Slovenia, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to convert a crucial penalty kick to give his side the lead with the scores level at 0-0. However, he converted from the spot during the penalty shootout, alongside Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, guiding the Selecao into the quarterfinal.
Ronaldo played his record sixth European championship in 2024 and remains the competition's all-time highest goal-scorer with 14 goals. He has won the tournament once in 2016 with Portugal.