Footballing stalwart Cristiano Ronaldo had one of the most disappointing ends to his FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign as Portugal was defeated by Morocco 1-0 in the quarterfinals. As a reaction to this loss, many speculated that this could be the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s last World Cup but the 37-year-old posted a somewhat open-ended answer to this question.
Addressing Portugal’s exit, Ronaldo shared a long post on his social media platforms, where he thanked the fans for their support and his dream to lift the World Cup for his country. But towards the end of his note, CR7 gave an update on his future.
Ronaldo talked about how he would be taking a long time to take a decision regarding his future as he doesn’t want to make a decision in the heat of the moment. The 37-year-old wrote, "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."
The former Manchester United forward also reflected on multiple speculations regarding a possible rift between him and the Portugal team management. Reports surfaced that there was a lot of friction between head coach Fernando Santos and Ronaldo, after the South Korea game.
These clashes apparently led to Ronaldo being benched in the Round of 16, after which the five-time Ballon d'Or winner threatened to leave the squad. In the post, the 37-year-old stated that he would never betray his teammates and that all the rumours and reports were false.
"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 the 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."
