Cristiano Ronaldo thought about stopping. He said so in Lisbon on Wednesday, the day before Portugal open their Nations League campaign against Wales, and he said it without any of the theatre that usually surrounds the subject. Asked whether he had considered retiring from international football after the World Cup, the answer was a plain "Yes, I did."
He is 41. He said in the summer that the 2026 World Cup would be his last, and then left the rest of the question hanging. Now he is in Jorge Jesus' 25-man squad, set to win a 234th cap at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday night, and the reasons he gave for carrying on came down to two numbers. One is 1,000. The other is three.
Twenty-one goals short
Ronaldo is 21 goals away from 1,000 in his career, a figure nobody in the men's game has reached and one he has talked about openly since he passed 900. He still scores regularly for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and Portugal fixtures are where a good chunk of the remaining 21 are likely to come from. "One thousand goals, yes, and the national team," he said when asked to rank his ambitions. "Both aims are important."
The three is Nations League titles. Portugal have won two, both with Ronaldo in the side, and he wants a third. "Winning the Nations League, the competition starts tomorrow, it's a new age," he said.
The conversation with the president
He described how the decision was made: a conversation with the federation president and with Jesus, and a judgement that he can still contribute. "I still believe that I'm able to help the national team to reach what they want," he said. "I think I can give to the national team my support, not only through the goals, but also outside of football." The squad he is part of is noticeably young. Fabio Silva, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Francisco Conceicao are all in it, and Ronaldo talked about being an example to them, and to the kids who watch him, as part of why he stayed. He also joked that he would still be around in ten years. Nobody in the room was entirely certain it was a joke.
"It doesn't matter if I play tomorrow, if I rest the next game," he added. "For me, the most important thing is that I feel good." That last line is new. For most of two decades the idea of Ronaldo being relaxed about not starting would have been unthinkable.
The shotgun line
Jesus called him a symbol of Portugal and the national team. Ronaldo, for his part, spent a minute on the critics who have followed him through England, Spain and Italy. "This is possibly where I have felt most cared," he said of Portugal. "I do understand that some TV channels like to criticise me, they've tried to kill me with a shotgun, but I can still move away from it. Anyway, I am used to it. For over 20 years I have been doing this, but my memories are with people who love me."
Wales arrive in Lisbon short-handed and with Craig Bellamy talking up his young side's lack of fear. They will need it. Portugal at home, with Ronaldo chasing a round number and a third trophy, is not a gentle way to begin a group.
Match context: Portugal v Wales, UEFA Nations League Group A4, Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Thursday 24 September 2026, 19:45 BST. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, Al-Nassr, is set for his 234th Portugal cap and needs 21 more goals to reach 1,000 in his career. Portugal have won the Nations League twice. Prediction: Portugal 3-0 Wales.
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