Star player says he will be ‘the first to leave’ international football when he can no longer contribute to his team.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed suggestions he had considered ending his international career in the near future, adding that post-Euro criticism did not worry him.
Ronaldo led Portugal in the Euro 2024 championship, where his country was knocked out in the quarterfinals following a loss against France.
“That’s all from the press. It never crossed my mind that my cycle [with Portugal] had come to an end. Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue to be honest,” Ronaldo told a news conference on Monday.
“The motivation is to come to the national team to win the Nations League … We’ve already won it once, and we want to do it again. I might say the same thing over and over again. But I don’t think long term; it’s always short term.”
Portugal host Croatia in their Nations League opener on Thursday before welcoming Scotland in League A Group One on Sunday.
Ronaldo captained Portugal to success in the opening edition of the Nations League in 2018-19, three years after they became European champions for the first time in France.
“Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter,” Ronaldo added.
“What I feel at the moment, and the coach’s [Roberto Martinez] words also demonstrate this, is that I continue to be an asset to the national team and I will be the first [to admit it] if that isn’t the case.
“When the time comes, I’ll move on. It won’t be a difficult decision to make,” the 39-year-old said.
“If I feel like I’m no longer contributing anything, I’ll be the first to leave,” he added, citing the example of his former teammate Pepe, “who left through the front door” after announcing his retirement from the game last August at the age of 41.
“But I will go with a clear conscience, as always, because I know who I am, what I can do, what I do and what I will continue to do.”
The former Real Madrid player received a special award from UEFA on Thursday in recognition of his record-breaking achievements in the elite event.
Ronaldo is the Champions League record scorer with 140 goals from 183 appearances for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. He was top scorer in seven seasons, including a record 17 goals in 2013-14, and is the only player to score in three finals.
Honored to receive this award from @ChampionsLeague for being the all-time top scorer of the competition. Grateful for all the support along the way! Thank you! pic.twitter.com/2FqexL3cIr
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) August 29, 2024
The star forward appeared untroubled by criticism he faced for failing to score at the 2024 European Championship.
“Criticism is great because if it doesn’t exist there’s no progress. It’s always been like this. Is it going to change now? It won’t,” Ronaldo said.
“So I try to follow my path, be as professional as possible, help in the best way possible with my professionalism and not just with goals, assists, discipline, and example, because football is much more than just playing well or scoring a goal.
“The people who give their opinions have never been in a locker room, and I often laugh because it’s the same thing as me talking about Formula 1.
“How can I give my opinion on Formula 1 if I don’t know anything about tyres, rims or the weight of the car … It’s normal and that’s why for me criticism is good and part of it, it’s no problem at all.”
Earlier, Ronaldo said he plans to end his career with his current club Al Nassr – but probably not for another two or three years.
“I don’t know if I will retire soon, in two or three years, but probably I will retire here at Al Nassr,” Ronaldo told Portuguese channel NOW in August.
Ronaldo has scored 130 international goals for Portugal, the most ever by a male player, in 212 appearances for his country – a world record.
