LISBON: Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed suggestions he had considered ending his international career in the near future as he believes he still has plenty to give Portugal, adding that post-Euro criticism did not worry him.

Portugal host Croatia in their Nations League opener on Thursday before welcoming Scotland in League ‘A’ Group One on Sunday.

“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,” Ronaldo told a press conference on Monday.

“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.”

Ronaldo captained Portugal to success in the opening edition of the Nations League in 2018-19, three years after they became European Champions for the first time in France.

“Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter,” Ronaldo added. “What I feel at the moment, and the coach’s [Roberto Martinez] words also demonstrate this, is that I continue to be an asset to the national team and I will be the first [to admit it] if that isn’t the case. When the time comes, I’ll move on. It won’t be a difficult decision to make

“When I’m [no longer] an asset I will be the first to leave. But I will go with a clear conscience, as always, because I know who I am, what I can do, what I do and what I will continue to do” he said, citing the example of his former team-mate Pepe, “who left through the front door” after announcing his retirement from the game last August at the age of 41.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has been playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia for almost two years now, failed to score as he appeared at a record sixth European Championship this year, with Portugal exiting in the quarter-finals. The 39-year-old appeared untroubled by criticism he faced.

“People’s expectations of the national team were too high,” said Ronaldo, adding that the bad times in a footballer’s life “allow you to evolve”. “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. 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.”

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2024