At international level, there was much speculation that the FIFA World Cup in 2022 would be Ronaldo’s last act with Portugal, particularly as he was dropped to the bench for the team’s knockout stage matches against Switzerland and Morocco.
After a breakthrough season in the Saudi Pro League in 2023/24, Ronaldo said: “I don’t follow the records, the records follow me.”
Since joining the Saudi Arabian club on a free transfer in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United, the Portugal icon has scored 64 goals in 69 games across all competitions.
For his country, UEFA Euro 2024 was his 11th major tournament, but it ended in heartbreak after Portugal were knocked out on penalties by France in the quarter-finals.
After ending what many believe will be his last Tournament on the main stage, questions must now be asked about Ronaldo’s future in the game and whether he will retire from international football with Portugal – and perhaps even completely.
When is Cristiano Ronaldo retiring?
At the start of 2024, Ronaldo joked that he still had 10 years left before he retired. He was at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai when he said: “I don’t know when I’m done, to be honest.
“Of course, it will be soon, I think 10 years more,” he laughed. “No, I’m kidding, I don’t know, we’ll see.”
A video of his partner Georgina Rodriguez also went viral when she was heard saying: “One more year for Cristiano and then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” as she chatted with models at Paris Fashion Week.
Asked about his future in the days before the quarter-finals: “It’s without a doubt my last European Championship,” Ronaldo told Portuguese newspaper O Jogo.
“But I’m not emotional about it. I’m moved by all the means of football – the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm to see my fans, my family, the affection people have for me.”
Source: The Sporting News
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