Cristiano Ronaldo Dismisses Rumors of Imminent Retirement from Portugal National Team

Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed rumors that he would soon retire from the Portuguese national team. He emphasized that he has no plans to retire from the national team anytime soon.

Portugal will face Croatia in their UEFA Nations League League A Group 1 opener on Thursday (5/9/2024), and then face Scotland on Sunday (8/9/2024).

“I never thought that my journey with Portugal was over. On the contrary, it motivated me even more to continue my commitment,” Ronaldo said in a press conference on Tuesday (3/9/2024), as quoted by the Daily Mail.

Ronaldo said he is now highly motivated to win the UEFA Nations League again. Portugal previously won the first edition of the tournament in 2019, three years after winning Euro 2016 in France.

“We have won the Nations League once, and we want to do it again. Maybe I often say the same thing, but I always focus on short-term goals, not long-term goals,” said the player who now plays for Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo also emphasized that he would only retire from the Portuguese national team if he felt he was no longer making a significant contribution.

“When I am no longer an asset to the team, I will be the first to step down. However, I will do so with a calm heart, as always, because I know who I am, what I can do, what I have achieved and what I will continue to do,” said the striker who has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.  

Since making his senior Portugal debut in 2003, Ronaldo has made 212 appearances and scored 130 goals. He also captained Portugal to Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League titles.