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Cristiano Ronaldo outlines retirement plan ahead of Portugal games
Cristiano Ronaldo has outlined his retirement plans ahead of Portugal’s upcoming UEFA Nations League games. The Portuguese superstar, who has won numerous titles at the club level and led his national team to its first major victory at the European Championship in 2016, remains determined to continue his career.
Ronaldo holds the record for the most appearances (212) and goals (130) by any male player at the international level. Despite this, as Portugal prepares for their Nations League opener, Ronaldo insists that retirement is not on his mind.
When asked about the possibility of retiring from the national team, Ronaldo responded: “That’s all from the press. It never crossed my mind that my cycle had come to an end. Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue, to be honest.”
Ronaldo, who is constantly under intense scrutiny, shared how he deals with criticism: “Criticism is great because, if it doesn’t exist, there’s no progress, and that’s normal. 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 the club 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.”
He also highlighted the perspective of those who critique without firsthand experience: “The people who give their opinions have never been in a locker room. I think it’s normal and I often laugh because it’s the same thing as me talking about Formula 1.
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.”
Ronaldo, who has expressed a desire to reach 1,000 career goals before retiring, has been in fine form for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
He now rejoins the Portuguese national team after being selected by Roberto Martinez for the start of another UEFA Nations League campaign, which kicks off against Croatia on Thursday.