In Portugal’s stadium cities, where the red of Benfica and the blue-and-white of Porto still frame every national-team conversation, Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to a familiar subject: the noise around him. At 41, the Al Nassr forward spoke at the Portugal Football Summit with the defiance that has accompanied much of his international career, while setting out two targets for the season ahead.
Portugal begin their Nations League campaign against Wales on Thursday at 20:45, and Ronaldo says he is chasing both a collective prize and an individual landmark. His stated aims are to reach 1,000 career goals and to win the Nations League again with his country.
Still central to Portugal’s plans
Ronaldo said he had felt particularly warmly received this year, even if criticism remains part of the landscape. He acknowledged that some media coverage has sought to bring him down, joking that it would take a shotgun to do so and that he would still evade the shot.
He also referred to the different atmosphere in Porto and Lisbon. The rivalry was more evident at the Estádio do Dragão, he said, while he suggested he had read that Portugal could not play at the Estádio da Luz. In any case, he insisted that opposition from a small number of people does not trouble him.
The arrival of Jorge Jesus has opened a new chapter around the Portugal bench, but Ronaldo made clear that he still sees a role for himself. “As long as I feel I can contribute and that I matter, I will remain here,” he said.
A finish line not yet fixed
Retirement is not something Ronaldo says he examines closely. He believes he will recognise the right moment when it arrives, rather than place a date on it now.
For the moment, the appetite remains. He said he continues to enjoy playing and scoring, and explained that he learned to live more in the present after entering his thirties. This could very possibly be his final year, he admitted, but he promised that supporters would know when his last match comes.
