Was Saturday's FIFA World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Morocco Cristiano Ronaldo's final game in a Portugal shirt?
The 37-year-old entered Qatar 2022 with the goal of lifting the prestigious trophy in his final World Cup tournament. However, that dream was ended by the Atlas Lions, with the North African nation beating the European giants 1-0 in the last eight.
Cristiano, who was brought on as a second-half substitute after being benched for the second game in a row, left the pitch in tears, leaving many wondering whether that was the final chapter of his historic international career.
Portuguese news outlet Correio da Manhã has offered an update on Ronaldo's future, claiming that the legendary attacker has no intentions of stepping down soon. In fact, the former Manchester United star already has his eyes set on Euro 2024.
The aforementioned report states that the national team captain has already informed the federation of his desire to remain on board as he believes he can continue contributing to A Seleção.
However, it remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will remain a central figure regardless of whether he continues playing or not. As previously stated, Fernando Santos dropped the country's all-time top scorer for both of their knockout stage games, with many believing Portugal are better without the veteran.
The current head coach's future is under tremendous doubt, though, with Santos looking destined to be sacked. Jose Mourinho has been linked with the job and a managerial shake-up could see the soon-to-be 38-year-old return to the lineup.
The attacker recently sent a cryptic message on Instagram, posting a picture with the words "3 aspects of reality: pain, uncertainty, and hard work" on his story. Was this a hint at his national team future?
The immediate concern for CR7, however, is finding a new club. The player mutually agreed to a contract termination with the Red Devils while in Qatar and is yet to receive a concrete offer from anywhere but Saudi club Al-Nassr.
