Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo has denied rumours he is considering ending his international career in the near future, adding that criticism following the Euros does not worry him.
Ronaldo led Portugal to Euro 2024, where his country was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to France.
“This is all from the press. It never occurred to me that my cycle [with Portugal] has come to an end. On the contrary: it has given me even more motivation to continue to be honest,” Ronaldo said at 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 can say the same thing over and over again. But I don’t think long-term; it’s always short-term.”
On Thursday, Portugal will host Croatia in their Nations League opener, while on Sunday they will host Scotland in League A Group One.
Ronaldo captained Portugal to victory in the inaugural Nations League in 2018–19, three years after they won their first ever European Championship in France.
“Until the end of my career I will always have the mindset of being a starting player,” Ronaldo added.
“What I feel at the moment and what the coach feels, [Roberto Martinez] words also show that I am still an asset to the national team and I will be the first [to admit it] if it isn’t.
“When the time comes, I’ll move on. It won’t be a difficult decision,” the 39-year-old said.
“If I feel like I’m not contributing anymore, I’ll be the first to go,” he added, citing his former teammate Pepe, “who left through the front door” after announcing his retirement 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 for his record-breaking achievements in the elite event.
Ronaldo is the Champions League record scorer, having scored 140 goals in 183 appearances for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. He was the top scorer in seven seasons, including a record 17 goals in 2013–14, and is the only player to have scored in three finals.
Honored to receive this award from @Champions League for being the all-time leading scorer in the competition. Grateful for all your support along the way! Thank you! photo:twitter.com/2FqexL3cIr
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) August 29, 2024
The star did not care about the criticism he received for not scoring a goal at the 2024 European Championship.
“Criticism is great because if there is no criticism, there is no progress. It has always been like that. Will it change now? It won’t change,” Ronaldo said.
“That is why I try to follow my own path, be as professional as possible, help in the best possible way with my professionalism and not just with goals, assists, discipline and example, because football is much more than just playing well or scoring goals.
“People who express their opinions have never been in the changing room, and I often laugh because it’s the same as if I was talking about Formula 1.
“How can I express my opinion on Formula 1 if I don’t know anything about the tyres, the rims and the weight of the car… It’s normal and that’s why for me criticism is something good and part of it, it’s not a problem at all.”
Ronaldo has previously said he plans to end his career at his current club Al Nassr – but probably not for another two or three years.
“I don’t know if I’ll retire soon, in two or three years, but I’ll probably do it here at Al Nassr,” Ronaldo told Portuguese television station NOW in August.
Ronaldo scored 130 international goals for Portugal, the most by a male footballer, in 212 appearances for his country – a world record.
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