At 39, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to make the net tremble. Having saved Portugal twice during this international break in the Nations League, the Al-Nassr striker has never publicly announced a possible retirement date, even if the subject has often come up in recent weeks. The performances of the ex-Madrid player are also followed very closely by Costinha, his former teammate in the national team who saw him grow up and make a name for himself in the national team.
Retired since 2010, the former Monaco player revealed a rather surprising anecdote about CR7, who saw himself quitting football at a fairly young age. “He made his debut against Kazakhstan in 2003. The only thing I found strange at the time was that he said he wanted to quit football at 30. But we quickly realised that it wasn’t possible, as he was perfect in every situation,” the former defensive midfielder told ESPN Brasil.
Ronaldo waits for “the right time” to retire
Before going further: “He told me: ‘Costa, I’m going to play until I’m 30 and then I’m going to do something different’. I said to myself: ‘It’s very difficult that this happens to you, because of your personality’. Ten years have passed (since he turned 30) and he’s still playing so well.” For Costinha, Cristiano Ronaldo’s rigour and his healthy lifestyle play a big part in maintaining his performance at the highest level. A routine that could work to allow him to reach 1,000 career goals? “It depends on what happens in the future, if he wants to continue playing. It depends on a lot of factors. Now, if he has the opportunity, he’ll try to do it, I have no doubt about that.”
Raised once again on the subject of his retirement, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner believes that he can still help the national team. “When the time comes, I will move on. (…) It will not be a difficult decision to make. If I feel like I am no longer contributing anything, I will be the first to leave,” he added, citing the example of his fellow traveler Pepe, “who left through the front door,” after announcing his retirement from the sport last August at the age of 41. His two goals scored during the international break are a reminder that he is not ready to give up ground.
- RMC Sport
