Cristiano Ronaldo claimed on Sunday that he had always been committed to playing for the Portuguese national team, which had been eliminated from the World Cup the day before, but he remained mum over his future with the team....CONTINUE READING
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is now 37, came to Qatar on a goal to show that he could still have an impact for his country’s side. However, he finished the competition by substituting in the second half of Portugal’s 1-0 quarterfinal defeat to Morocco, leaving the field in tears.
In a Facebook post, Ronaldo stated, “I just want you all to know that much has been said, much has been written, and much has been speculated, but my loyalty to Portugal has not altered for a moment.
“I would never turn my back on my teammates or my country. I was always one more person battling for everyone’s goal.”
Despite Portugal’s elimination, Ronaldo added another achievement to his list of accomplishments when he scored against Ghana in their opening group match to become the first player in history to score in five World Cups.
He has previously declined to say whether the World Cup in Qatar would be his final competition and claimed he was already thinking about the 2024 European Championship.
However, his Sunday Facebook post had an unclear conclusion: “There isn’t much else to say at this time. Regards, Portugal. Regards, Qatar. While it was happening, the dream was lovely. We must now allow time to act as a wise guide and allow everyone to reach their own conclusions.”
The future of Ronaldo’s club is also in doubt as Manchester United released him from his contract two days into the World Cup, making him a free agent. ‘
The former Real Madrid and Juventus star was reportedly close to signing with Saudi club Al Nassr, but Ronaldo vehemently disputed it on December 6.
