NEW DELHI: Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo has firmly refuted rumours suggesting his imminent retirement from international football.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Portugal‘s upcoming Nations League matches against Croatia and Scotland, the 39-year-old forward emphasized his continued motivation and commitment to the national team.
“That’s all from the press.It never crossed my mind that my cycle (with Portugal) had come to an end. Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue to be honest,” said Ronaldo, as quoted by Reuters.
Ronaldo expressed his eagerness to lead Portugal to another Nations League title, highlighting his focus on short-term objectives rather than long-term plans.
“The motivation is to come to the national team to win the Nations League … We’ve already won it once and we want to do it again. I might say the same thing over and over again, but I don’t think long term, it’s always short term,” he added.
Addressing criticism regarding his performance at the 2024 European Championship, Ronaldo remained unfazed. He viewed criticism as a catalyst for progress and emphasized his commitment to professionalism, extending beyond goals and assists to encompass discipline and setting a positive example for his teammates.
“Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter,” he remarked.
The veteran forward drew a parallel between uninformed criticism and commenting on unfamiliar fields, using Formula 1 as an example.
“Criticism is great because if it doesn’t exist there’s no progress. It’s always been like this. Is it going to change now? It won’t. So I try to follow my path, be as professional as possible, help in the best way possible with my professionalism and not just with goals, assists, discipline, and example, because football is much more than just playing well or scoring a goal. The people who give their opinions have never been in a locker room, and I often laugh because it’s the same thing as me talking about Formula 1,” Ronaldo said.
“How can I give my opinion on Formula 1 if I don’t know anything about tires, rims or the weight of the car … It’s normal and that’s why for me criticism is good and part of it, it’s no problem at all,” the footballing legend concluded.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Portugal‘s upcoming Nations League matches against Croatia and Scotland, the 39-year-old forward emphasized his continued motivation and commitment to the national team.
“That’s all from the press.It never crossed my mind that my cycle (with Portugal) had come to an end. Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue to be honest,” said Ronaldo, as quoted by Reuters.
Ronaldo expressed his eagerness to lead Portugal to another Nations League title, highlighting his focus on short-term objectives rather than long-term plans.
“The motivation is to come to the national team to win the Nations League … We’ve already won it once and we want to do it again. I might say the same thing over and over again, but I don’t think long term, it’s always short term,” he added.
Addressing criticism regarding his performance at the 2024 European Championship, Ronaldo remained unfazed. He viewed criticism as a catalyst for progress and emphasized his commitment to professionalism, extending beyond goals and assists to encompass discipline and setting a positive example for his teammates.
“Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter,” he remarked.
The veteran forward drew a parallel between uninformed criticism and commenting on unfamiliar fields, using Formula 1 as an example.
“Criticism is great because if it doesn’t exist there’s no progress. It’s always been like this. Is it going to change now? It won’t. So I try to follow my path, be as professional as possible, help in the best way possible with my professionalism and not just with goals, assists, discipline, and example, because football is much more than just playing well or scoring a goal. The people who give their opinions have never been in a locker room, and I often laugh because it’s the same thing as me talking about Formula 1,” Ronaldo said.
“How can I give my opinion on Formula 1 if I don’t know anything about tires, rims or the weight of the car … It’s normal and that’s why for me criticism is good and part of it, it’s no problem at all,” the footballing legend concluded.