With a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating his late winner against Scotland at the Estadio da Luz, Monday morning’s edition of Portuguese sports paper A Bola splashed with the headline: ‘Ronaldo to the end.’
Three days after scoring the landmark 900th goal of his incredible career to give Portugal a 2-1 Nations League victory over Croatia, Ronaldo was at it again.
Roberto Martinez’s side were a goal down when their talisman entered the action at half-time in Lisbon on Sunday, but the 39-year-old struck No 901 from close range to complete the comeback in the 88th minute, pointing to his chest as he ran to the touchline to perform his trademark ‘Siuuu!’ celebration.
It has been quite the international break for Ronaldo and his supporters, who will hold up the two goals as justification for his decision not to retire in the wake of Portugal’s exit from the Euros this summer.
But it does beg the question — when is the end for Ronaldo? The next World Cup in 2026 and what would be a fifth appearance at the finals, aged 41? Let’s see.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be Portugal’s national hero at the age of 39-years-old
Ronaldo strikes his iconic celebration after scoring Portugal’s winner against Croatia
He addressed the issue last week, saying: ‘When the time comes, I’ll move on. It won’t be a difficult decision to make.
‘If I feel like I’m no longer contributing anything, I’ll be the first to leave.’
But will he? Ronaldo’s critics would argue that his continued presence on the international scene, long after leaving top-flight club football to play in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, is little more than a vanity project and that he will, in fact, be the last one to know.
Not that you will find many of them raising their heads above the parapet in Portugal, where writing off Ronaldo is a hazardous pastime.
‘There’s a feeling of gratitude for everything he has achieved and the fact is he’s still scoring. He’s still doing it,’ one insider told Mail Sport on Monday. ‘After the Euros, some anonymous people were saying he should be out of the team. Enough is enough.
‘But you don’t hear players and coaches say that because they wouldn’t want to start a war with the most powerful player and brand in Portugal.’ Just ask former national team coach Fernando Santos.
The 69-year-old won the Euros in 2016 and Nations League in 2019 with Ronaldo at the heart of his team for eight years, but was sacked shortly after taking the bold decision to drop his star player at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Morocco.
Santos left insisting he had no regrets and revealed last year that he had still not spoken to the man he regarded as a son.
Ronaldo endured a sour Old Trafford exit in his second stint at Man United
So perhaps it is understandable that his replacement Martinez has handled the Ronaldo issue with a great deal of care, not wishing to upset a player who is still winning games when others his age have retired.
That he is still fit and firing is largely thanks to a regime that includes punishing gym workouts, cryochamber recovery sessions, six carefully prepared meals a day and five 90-minute power naps.
Martinez was under pressure to drop Ronaldo at the Euros in July when he broke down in tears, and had to be consoled by team-mates, after missing a penalty against Slovenia in the last 16.
The former Real Madrid star recovered to convert in the shootout, but it was the first time he had failed to score from open play in 11 major tournaments. Some feared it was in danger of descending into the Ronaldo show at the expense of his team.
It is a suggestion that will have struck a chord at Manchester United, where Ronaldo’s return soured long before his bombshell TV interview with Piers Morgan.
Incidents included the strop at caretaker boss Ralf Rangnick after being substituted at Brentford, the disappearance at half-time during Erik ten Hag’s first home game in charge against Rayo Vallecano and the refusal to come on as a substitute against Tottenham three months later. However, Martinez has remained loyal.
Ronaldo still shows the same competitive desire that has delivered success so many times in his career
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has maintained trust in playing Ronaldo in top matches
‘Cristiano is in the national team of Portugal because he deserves to be,’ he said after the Euros, where a poll showed 54 per cent of fans wanted Ronaldo to start the quarter-final against France, as opposed to the 30 per cent who backed him for the World Cup quarter-final against Morocco two years earlier.
While Pepe hung up his boots after the Euros, Ronaldo soldiered on.
Even Martinez realised he could not start two games in three days, but sent him on for the second half against Scotland on Sunday night and was rewarded with a winner.
That is 132 goals in 214 international appearances. Say what you like about Ronaldo, but it is a staggering statistic. Only a fool would bet against him still going strong when the next World Cup rolls around.
