"On a personal note, I go to my 5th World Cup" - Cristiano Ronaldo posts heartwarming and inspirational message after Portugal qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo is all set to play in his fifth FIFA World Cup after helping Portugal beat North Macedonia 2-0 to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be played later this year in Qatar.
His Portugal and Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes scored both goals against North Macedonia, with Diogo Jota and Cristiano Ronaldo himself providing the assists.
The crucial win sends Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal to their fifth and sixth straight World Cup respectively.
Cristiano Ronaldo ends the World Cup Qualifiers as Portugal's Top Scorer and Top Assister 🐐 https://t.co/inzASEPsJ5
Impressively, Portugal have not missed a single major international competition since Cristiano Ronaldo started playing for them twenty years ago. Since then, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored a staggering total of 115 goals in just 186 appearances for his national side.
Most importantly, he has led Portugal to victory in two major international tournaments, winning the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
The 37-year-old superstar was naturally overjoyed after Portugal qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In a passionate post on social media, he shared his relief, but also claimed that Portugal are not satisfied with just qualification, but seek to win the biggest international tournament in the world later this year. He wrote:
"There are many ways to reach the desired destination, sometimes the path may not be as direct as what we wanted, but the most important thing is to get there!
"On a personal note, I go to my 5th World Cup and my 12th final round of a great international competition for Portugal, with the same enthusiasm as the first day but with a much stronger ambition, an ambition to go meeting the desire of all of us: desire to win!
"For now, we can smile with the feeling of accomplishment, of another stage resolved. But we don't want to stop here. We want more! We want so much more! For us, for ours, for Portugal… Towards Qatar!"
Cristiano Ronaldo's future plan set to depend on new Manchester United manager's plans
Cristiano Ronaldo re-joined Manchester United amid much fanfare last summer, but his return has been anything but a fairytale. The Red Devils stand a strong chance of finishing outside the top four in the Premier League this season, and could be set to miss next season's UEFA Champions League.
With the Portuguese superstar in the twilight of his career, several reports have speculated that the legendary forward could look to move elsewhere this summer in order to eventually end his career on a high.
However, his current contract only ends in the summer of 2023, and the Red Devils may be able to retain the talismanic superstar for another season. Much is expected to depend on who Manchester United recruit as their new permanent manager to replace Ralf Rangnick next season and beyond.
Cristiano Ronaldo will understandably be frustrated by the Red Devils' lack of success this season, but he is likely to listen to the new manager's plans for him before making a decision about his future.