Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he is dedicated to the Portuguese national team but will let time be the adviser in the future. There were speculations that the Qatar 2022 World Cup would be his last appearance for the national team.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup is over for Portugal. They were dark horses to win the tournament but suffered a loss in the quarter-final to the Atlas Lions of Morocco.
With the raging competition between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the world looked forward to a final that would see the two sides lock horns. The Atlas Lions of Morocco decided to play the party pooper. Portugal can now look forward to future competitions with questions arising over its composition.
One of the questions is if Cristiano Ronaldo has made his final appearance for Portugal. Considering his age, and inability to land a contract with the top clubs, insinuations suggest his Portugal career is over. However, Ronaldo has denied questions about his dedication to the national team.
Ronaldo insists on his dedication to Portugal
Following the ouster of Portugal from the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo is the butt of discussions. In many quarters, many see his international career as over and scrutinised his dedication to the national team. However, the former Real Madrid star claims his passion for Portugal remains high. He was not explicit about his future with Portugal.
Ronaldo, who is currently clubless, said on Sunday that his loyalty to the Portuguese national team is unquestionable. With their campaign in Qatar over, Ronaldo was coy about his involvement with the national team in the future.
After his Manchester United debacle, Ronaldo landed in Qatar like a man on a mission. He wanted to prove the cojones to deliver for his national team are still within. The former Juventus star saw his involvement with the national team grow increasingly limited.
He came off the bench as Portugal beat Switzerland 6-1. He was also a second-half substitute in the 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco.
Time will decide Ronaldo’s future with Portugal
Following the many insinuations concerning Ronaldo’s future, the former Real Madrid star took to Facebook to clear all doubts. In a statement posted on the social media app, Ronaldo said he wanted everybody to know that with all said, written, and speculated, he remains dedicated to Portugal. According to Ronaldo, his dedication to his national team has not changed.
He continued in the Facebook post that he was always fighting for everyone’s goal. He would never turn his back on his teammates and country.
Before the World Cup, Ronaldo was not specific about whether Qatar 2022 would be his last. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he was already looking forward to the 2024 European Championship.
Ronaldo also set another record in Qatar despite crashing out in the quarter-final. He became the first player in history to score in five World Cups. He scored against Ghana in their opening group game.
Ronaldo concluded his Facebook post on an ambiguous note. He said there was nothing more to say and thanked Portugal and Qatar. He finished the statement by saying time would be a good adviser and allow everyone to conclude.
