Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to carry on playing with the Portuguese national team following their exit from the 2022 World Cup on Saturday at the hands of Morocco.
Fernando Santos’ team were defeated 1-0 by the African side at the quarter-finals stage and it left Ronaldo devasted as the superstar was seen in tears heading down the tunnel after the final whistle.
The 37-year-old had a poor tournament in Qatar and was dropped by Santos for the knockout matches having scored just one goal in the group stage from the penalty spot.
The five-time Ballon d’Or has struggled at club level this season as well and is expected to move away from the top leagues when searching for his next club side.
Despite his visible decline – which is to be expected at 37 – Portuguese paper Correio da Manha have reported that Ronaldo will not give up playing for the national team and hopes to play until the Euros in 2024.
This might not be the wish of a new manager, however, should Santos be replaced as the current Portugal boss as this is one of the most talented squads the country has had in its history and with so many young players coming through, it is unlikely that Ronaldo could be selected for the Euros – where he will be aged 39.
Ronaldo is one of the best players in the history of the sport but at the age of 37, his time at the top level is over and the past few months have shown this. It would more beneficial for Portugal to move on and give the youngsters a chance to develop during the build-up to the Euros in 2024 and beyond.