Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has explained why he chose not to retire from international football after the 2026 World Cup.
The Al Nassr forward, now 41, had announced before the tournament that it would be his final World Cup. Portugal exited the competition in the Round of 16 with a 1-0 defeat to Spain.
There were questions about whether he would continue with the national team, but Ronaldo has now been included in coach Jorge Jesus’ 25-man squad for this week’s Nations League fixtures.
Speaking to BBC Sport Wales ahead of Portugal’s match against Wales in Lisbon on Thursday, Ronaldo said he did consider calling it quits.
He said he is someone who always thinks deeply about his future and what comes next, and the idea of stopping after the World Cup did cross his mind.
However, after speaking with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca and head coach Jorge Jesus, he was convinced that he still has a lot to offer the team both on and off the pitch.
Ronaldo said he believes he can still help Portugal achieve its goals, not just by scoring but by supporting the younger players and sharing his experience.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star also has personal milestones driving him. He is currently 21 goals short of hitting 1,000 career goals, a target he is determined to reach.
Another motivation is the Nations League. Ronaldo has already won the competition twice with Portugal and wants to lift the trophy for a third time.
According to him, both chasing the 1000 goal mark and winning another Nations League title are important to him as the new campaign begins.
He also pointed to Portugal’s new generation of talents like Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Francisco Conceicao and Fabio Silva as another reason he wants to stay around and guide them.
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