Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he will not retire from international football despite a frustrating Euro 2024 campaign. Still holding the record as the most-capped and prolific goals-scorer in all of men’s international football, the 39-year-old Portuguese forward has bagged 130 goals in 212 appearances; however, he has failed to get on the scoresheet in five matches at the Euros so far this summer.
Ronaldo’s appearance saw him become the first European player to make 50 appearances in major tournaments and later claimed that his decision to retire will not be hard to make when the time comes. “When the time comes, I’ll move on,” he said. “If I feel like I’m no longer contributing, I’ll be the first to leave.”
Despite the criticism during Euro 2024, Ronaldo did say he had never contemplated moving away from the national team. He admitted still focusing on the short-term goals and two forthcoming games for Portugal against Croatia and Scotland in the Nations League, where he will also be seeking his 900th career goal.
“The motivation is to come to the national team is to win the Nations League,” Ronaldo said, a nod to wanting to help Portugal regain a title it took in 2019.
