Ronaldo says dedication to Portugal unchanged but will 'let time be a good adviser'
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Ronaldo said that he had always been dedicated to being a part of the Portuguese national team
LISBON (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo said on Sunday that he had always been dedicated to being a part of the Portuguese national team, which was knocked out of the World Cup a day earlier, but he was coy about his future in the national side.
The 37-year-old, a five-times Ballon D Or winner, had arrived in Qatar with a mission to prove he could still make a difference on his national team. He ended the tournament, however, coming on as a second-half substitute in Portugal s 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco.
"I just want you all to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for a moment," Ronaldo said in a Facebook post.
"I was always one more person fighting for everyone s goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country."
Before the World Cup, he had refused to say whether the tournament in Qatar would be his last and said he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship.
His Facebook post on Sunday, however, ended on an ambiguous note.
"For now, there s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted... Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions," he wrote.
Ronaldo won t make heat of moment decision after Portugal exit
Cristiano Ronaldo said on Sunday (Dec 11) "there s no point in reacting in the heat of the moment," as he responded to Portugal s World Cup elimination.
"To win a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career. Fortunately, I won many titles of international dimension, including for Portugal," Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.
His post did not talk about international retirement but he started Portugal s last two matches in Qatar on the bench, a decision which provoked debate in Portugal and across the football world.
"Let s hope that time will be a good counsellor and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions," he wrote.
The post was accompanied by a photo of Ronaldo, head down, trudging off the field in Doha after the 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco on Saturday.
At 37, Ronaldo was playing his fifth World Cup. As soon as the final whistle blew he headed down the tunnel with tears streaming down his face.
Ronaldo is without a club after a bitter divorce with Manchester United.
According to the Portuguese press, Ronaldo threatened to leave the squad after he was dropped from the starting lineup, but coach Fernando Santos denied it.
"I just want everyone to know that a lot was said, a lot was written, a lot was speculated, but my dedication to Portugal didn t change for an instant," Ronaldo added.
"I was always one more player fighting for everyone s goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country."
"In the five World Cups I played, always alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I gave it my all. I left everything on the field. I never turned my back on the fight and I never gave up on this dream.
"Unfortunately, yesterday the dream ended. The dream was beautiful while it lasted."
