Posted by Chinenye on Thu 24th Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Cristiano Ronaldo has said he is ready to leave Portugal's national team whenever the country feels it no longer needs him.
(Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo Credit: X/Instablog)
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has said his future with the national team depends on whether the country still wants him.
Speaking ahead of Portugal's Nations League match against Wales, the 41-year-old captain said he is ready to leave right away if that reliance ends.
If Portugal no longer want to rely on him, he can go today and has no problem with that.
He said he would even speak to the federation president himself if they reach that point.
But Ronaldo stressed that the mutual trust stays strong for now and that is why he keeps playing for his country.
If they rely on him and the Portuguese people rely on him, then he will continue playing for the national team.
He admitted he seriously thought about retiring from international football after Portugal's exit at the 2026 World Cup.
Talks with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença and new head coach Jorge Jesus convinced him to stay.
They count on him and he still believes he can help the national team.
The veteran forward has scored 146 goals in 233 matches for Portugal.
He said he stays driven by the backing of Portuguese people and by what he does on the pitch.
He needs 21 more goals to reach 1,000 career goals for club and country and called scoring that mark for Portugal the icing on the cake.
Ronaldo set two targets for the coming months: hitting 1,000 goals and helping Portugal win another Nations League title under new coach Jorge Jesus who replaced the last coach.
Portugal play Wales in Lisbon on Thursday, with the coach saying Ronaldo will start.
Ronaldo said he is completely ready to play and if the coach wants him on the bench, he is ready for that too.
Even if he does not play, there will be no problem because it is about managing the squad and that is the coach's job.