Ronaldo Considers Portugal Retirement
Cristiano Ronaldo considered Portugal retirement before deciding to continue his international career.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has considered retiring from Portugal’s national team but says he will continue because he believes he can still help the side, including beyond scoring goals. His decision followed discussions with Portugal’s coach and football federation leadership, and he says he will leave when he feels he can no longer contribute. The debate over his future intensified after a subdued performance against Wales, prompting former Premier League defender Phil Bardsley to urge him to retire and make way for younger players. In contrast, Roberto Carlos believes Ronaldo could keep playing for years, citing his fitness and enthusiasm. Ronaldo, now 41, has also spoken of ambitions to keep winning and reach 1,000 career goals.
Key Points
1
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus confirmed Ronaldo would start against Wales, a match expected to be his 234th appearance for the national team and played at Sporting Lisbon’s José Alvalade stadium, where his career began.
2
Ahead of the Wales match, a poll by Portuguese newspaper A Bola left Ronaldo out of the lineup its readers preferred.
3
Roberto Carlos went further than saying Ronaldo could play for years, predicting he could continue for another 10 years and describing him as a “physical phenomenon” who takes joy in playing for Portugal.
4
Ronaldo’s age gap with younger teammates was underscored in a training-ground exchange: he reacted to learning that teammate Renato Veiga was born in 2003, while Ronaldo was born in 1985.
5
Bardsley suggested that reaching 150 goals for Portugal could be the point at which Ronaldo calls time on his international career, while saying he expected the forward to keep playing until he reaches 1,000 career goals.
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