“Now what I want is to be able to help” - Cristiano Ronaldo speaks up on his plan for retirement from Portugal national team
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has outlined his plans for his retirement from the Portugal national team. The 39-year-old said that his current focus is to help the team, but admitted his retirement would be spontaneous and he won't tell anyone beforehand.
Ronaldo gave an exclusive interview to NOW, which is set to broadcast on Jornal as 9 later today (Monday, August 26). During this interview, he stated (via Record):
"I am immensely proud to represent our colours, it is a dream. Therefore, when I leave the national team I will not tell anyone beforehand, it will be a very spontaneous decision on my part, but also a very well thought out one. Right now, what I want is to be able to help the team."
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest international player of all time, having forged an exceptional legacy for Portugal. He is the highest-scoring and most-capped player in football history, having garnered 130 goals and 45 assists in 212 appearances across all competitions. He also helped A Selecao win Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League.
While Cristiano Ronaldo has now acknowledged that retirement is on his mind, he is set to don the national colors in their upcoming Nations League campaign. He is expected to feature in their next fixture against Croatia in League A Group 1 on Thursday, September 5.
"We cannot throw in the towel" - When Cristiano Ronaldo admitted he considered retiring from Portugal national team following 2022 FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo may have shut down any rumors of him retiring from the Portugal national team in the near future. However, this wasn't the case two years ago, as he admitted he nearly retired after the 2022 FIFA World Cup after being benched by former manager Fernando Santos.
Cristiano Ronaldo struggled to make much of an impact in Qatar. He scored just one goal in five appearances as Portugal were knocked out of the quarter-finals by Morocco, destroying Ronaldo's hopes of winning his maiden World Cup trophy.
Moreover, the Real Madrid legend was benched during the knockouts, with Santos preferring Goncalo Ramos to lead the line. This nearly proved to be too much for Ronaldo, as he told reporters back in March 2023 (via GOAL):
“I'm not going to lie. In our life, we have to put everything on the scale. We thought, we reflected, me and my family, but then we came to the conclusion that, despite the difficulties, we cannot throw in the towel. I was able to see situations at different angles. I learned a lot from that."
He added:
“I'm glad to be back. Roberto Martinez showed that he counted on me. I've always wanted to play. As you know, he talked to everyone and to me, too. And I was able to realise that I have a lot to give to the national team. I feel it, I want it, and my desire is to take Portugal to the highest level. I will always give my contribution when they need me.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has earned his spot back in the starting XI under new Portugal boss Roberto Martinez. Despite this, he couldn't inspire his side to Euro 2024 glory - mustering zero goals in five games - as they crashed out in the quarter-finals after losing to France.