Ronaldo after Portugal exit: No point in reacting in heat of moment

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Dec 2022 15:54

Following his country's exit from the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo says his dedication to Portugal didn't change for an instance.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo (AFP)

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo considered on Sunday that "there's no point in reacting in the heat of the moment," as he responded to Portugal's 2022 World Cup elimination after a 1-0 loss to Morocco.

Ronaldo stayed in Qatar as many of the Portugal squad returned home and landed in Lisbon on Sunday afternoon.

"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.

"Let's hope that time will be a good counsellor and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions," he added.

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A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

The player started Portugal's last two matches in Qatar on the bench, a decision that provoked debate in Portugal and across the football world.

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 terminating his contract with Manchester United in November.

According to the Portuguese press, Ronaldo threatened to leave the squad after he was dropped from the starting lineup but that was denied by coach Fernando Santos, who will soon meet with the Portuguese Football Association to discuss his own future.

"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 made clear, stressing that "I was always one more player fighting for everyone's goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country."

"I never turned my back on the fight and I never gave up on this dream," he said, adding that "unfortunately, yesterday the dream ended. The dream was beautiful while it lasted."