The sight of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the field in tears after Portugal's exit from the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar is not easily forgotten. In those tears, the disappointment of being knocked out of the World Cup was accompanied by the pain of a possible end to an international career.
A lot of time has passed since then. Ronaldo joined the new club. He returned to the national team after the change of coach.
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After all this time, Ronaldo admitted that the thought of quitting international football crossed his mind after missing out on Portugal's starting XI at the World Cup. But in the end, the 38-year-old Portuguese forward decided to keep fighting.
Ronaldo realizes he has more to offer the country after new Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has confidence in his abilities. Portugal started their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on Thursday night with a match against Liechtenstein.
Before this match, Ronaldo told the story of the difficult time of losing the place in the starting eleven in the World Cup after parting with Man United, 'There is no hesitation to say, I have gone through a very difficult time. Thoughts of retirement came to mind.
But after a discussion with the family, I came to the conclusion that no matter how difficult the situation is, I will not give up. I saw the matter from a different perspective. Sometimes you have to go through such situations to understand who is by your side. Whatever we do, good or bad, life goes on. It is a part of my journey.'
Ronaldo has set a new record of playing the most 197 matches in international football against Liechtenstein.
This record is the fuel for his tireless running, 'The record is my inspiration. I don't want to stop here. After speaking with Roberto Martinez, I realized that I have a lot more to offer to the national team. This is what I want. I am always ready for Portugal.
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