Cristiano Ronaldo has not closed the door on representing Portugal in the future following his country’s loss to Morocco at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The 37-year-old also used his social media to refute reports about his behaviour after being benched by Fernando Santos for his country’s knockout out games.
“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.”
However, the five-time Ballon D’Or winner ended his post with an ambiguous hint about his future.
“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,”.
Many expected the Qatar World Cup to be the last time Cristiano Ronaldo was seen in a Portugal jersey as he will be 39 when the Euros 2024 begin and 41 years of age by the time the next World Cup rolls around.
Portugal may very well choose to focus on the next generation with building blocks like Rafael Leao, Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix already in place.
Whatever the outcome, the footballing world is unlikely to see a goalscorer of his calibre again.
