Cristiano Ronaldo has committed to continuing his Portugal career after admitting the 1-0 last-16 World Cup defeat to Spain gave him serious pause for thought about his international future. The Al-Nassr forward, who will earn his 234th cap when Portugal open their Nations League campaign against Wales in Lisbon on Thursday night, said conversations with the federation president and new head coach Jorge Jesus ultimately persuaded him to play on.
Ronaldo said he spoke with the president of the federation and the coach, that they rely on him, and that he still believes he is capable of helping the national team achieve what it wants. He was clear that he remains ready to step aside the moment the situation changes, saying he would be the first to take his suitcase and leave if he felt he was no longer adding value or was no longer wanted.
The 41-year-old holds 146 goals in 233 appearances for his country, both national records, and arrives at this window sitting on 979 career goals for club and country. He is 21 goals short of the 1,000 mark and has made reaching that figure — ideally in a Portugal shirt — one of his two stated targets for this stage of his career, alongside winning a third Nations League title with the national team. "It would be the cherry on the top of the cake to score my 1,000th goal with the national team. It would be the culmination of a beautiful story. I said I wanted to reach that target and I will reach that target. But I don't have an obsession. If you are obsessed with something, you won't get it… Just enjoy. Carpe diem, enjoy the day," he said.
Ronaldo's place in the squad had been the subject of considerable debate before Jesus — who managed him at Al-Nassr, where they won the Saudi Pro League title together — took charge following the departure of Roberto Martínez. Portugal's leading newspaper A Bola ran a poll ahead of the Wales fixture in which readers were invited to pick the starting XI, and Ronaldo did not make it. Jesus moved swiftly to shut down the discussion at Tuesday's press conference, confirming Ronaldo would start and defending his captain with notable force, describing him as a symbol of Portugal and the national team and making clear that any decision over playing time rests solely with the manager.
The new head coach also pointed to a match played in Hong Kong to illustrate Ronaldo's broader impact, noting that a stadium with a capacity of 55,000 drew only 3,000 spectators when Ronaldo did not play, but was completely full when he did.
Ronaldo himself addressed the sustained criticism he has faced, including suggestions from certain television channels that he should no longer be involved with the national setup. He acknowledged that scrutiny is an inescapable part of the game — that criticism will come whether a player does things right or wrong — but said he has long since made his peace with it. He added that his memories remain with the people who love him.
Thursday's match carries additional resonance for Ronaldo. Portugal face Wales at the Estádio José Alvalade — the ground where Ronaldo began his career with Sporting before joining Manchester United in 2003. He described it as a place with profound personal meaning, saying it was where his beautiful history started and where he was practically opened to the world. Portugal's Nations League group also includes Denmark and Norway, with fixtures running through to 4 October. Wales head coach Craig Bellamy has acknowledged Ronaldo's enduring standing in the sport ahead of the opening match.
Reporting: Mirror, Daily Mail, World Soccer Talk, RTÉ, ESPN, Sky Sports, The Sun, BBC Sport, The Guardian, BBC.