Cristiano Ronaldo said he had always been dedicated to being a part of the Portuguese national team, which was knocked out of the World Cup a day earlier, but he was coy about his future in the national side.
The 37-year-old, a five-times Ballon d'Or winner, had arrived in Qatar with a mission to prove he could still make a difference on his national team.
He ended the tournament, however, coming on as a second-half substitute in Portugal's 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Morocco.
“I just want you all to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for a moment,” Ronaldo said in a Facebook post.
“I was always one more person fighting for everyone's goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.”
Before the World Cup, he had refused to say whether the tournament in Qatar would be his last and said he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship.
His Facebook post, however, ended on an ambiguous note.
“For now, there's not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted ... Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions,” he wrote.
Ronaldo is Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 118 goals in 195 appearances.
Coach Fernando Santos said after the Morocco loss that he does not regret leaving Ronaldo on the bench and repeatedly explained that his decisions were tactical, raising questions about whether Ronaldo’s brilliant career is nearing a bitter end.
Before the World Cup, Ronaldo refused to say that the tournament in Qatar would be his last and he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship.
The 37-year-old is unlikely to retire yet but it remains to be seen where his future lies, with Spanish and English media reporting that he is closing on a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a contract worth a staggering 173 million pounds ($211.65 million) per year.
Santos also denied that he was stepping down from his job, saying he will talk to the Portuguese FA president about his future.
With or without Ronaldo, Portugal's future at least looks bright as they have a strong generation of talent with a good mixture of youngsters like Ramos and Joao Felix and outstanding players in their prime such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. — Reuters
Ronaldo says dedication to Portugal unchanged but will 'let time be a good adviser'
Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo said he had always been dedicated to being a part of the Portuguese national team, which was knocked out of the World Cup a day earlier, but he was coy about his future in the national side.
The 37-year-old, a five-times Ballon d'Or winner, had arrived in Qatar with a mission to prove he could still make a difference on his national team.
He ended the tournament, however, coming on as a second-half substitute in Portugal's 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Morocco.
“I just want you all to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for a moment,” Ronaldo said in a Facebook post.
“I was always one more person fighting for everyone's goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.”
Before the World Cup, he had refused to say whether the tournament in Qatar would be his last and said he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship.
His Facebook post, however, ended on an ambiguous note.
“For now, there's not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted ... Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions,” he wrote.
Ronaldo is Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 118 goals in 195 appearances.
Coach Fernando Santos said after the Morocco loss that he does not regret leaving Ronaldo on the bench and repeatedly explained that his decisions were tactical, raising questions about whether Ronaldo’s brilliant career is nearing a bitter end.
Before the World Cup, Ronaldo refused to say that the tournament in Qatar would be his last and he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship.
The 37-year-old is unlikely to retire yet but it remains to be seen where his future lies, with Spanish and English media reporting that he is closing on a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a contract worth a staggering 173 million pounds ($211.65 million) per year.
Santos also denied that he was stepping down from his job, saying he will talk to the Portuguese FA president about his future.
With or without Ronaldo, Portugal's future at least looks bright as they have a strong generation of talent with a good mixture of youngsters like Ramos and Joao Felix and outstanding players in their prime such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. — Reuters
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