It was largely believed that Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career had come to an end when Portugal was eliminated by Spain in the Round of 16 last week. The legend looked his age throughout his sixth World Cup, and even he seemed to suggest that would be it.
However, now that some time has passed, it’s starting to sound like the door might remain open for Ronaldo to represent Portugal again in 2030 at age 45.
New manager Jorge Jesus was recently asked about the possibility and made it clear that if Ronaldo is still playing at a high enough level, he’ll be considered for the World Cup roster.
“As long as (Ronaldo is) playing and is in a condition to be selected, I will pick him, within certain limits and under the conditions that I consider best for the national team. I haven’t spoken with Cris yet… Cris is never going to be a problem for the national team. Not for the national team, nor for me. Cris is a symbol of Portuguese football. Cris is a symbol of the national team that will forever be in the history books.
I had great pleasure working with him this past year; it’s easy to work with him. We’re going to have a conversation between the two of us about what he wants to do with the future of his career,”
The 41-year-old Ronaldo scored three goals in five matches at this year’s tournament, bringing his career World Cup total to 11 goals and two assists in 27 appearances.
It’s a difficult decision for everyone involved and certainly not one that can be made four years in advance.
Ronaldo is the face of Portuguese football and one of the greatest players of all time, but the oldest outfield player to ever appear in a World Cup was Roger Milla at 42 years old in 1994, so playing in 2030 would be completely unprecedented.
Ultimately, it will come down to how Ronaldo performs over the next four years and how he feels physically. While it’s still rather unlikely to happen, Jesus’ comments suggest that nobody should completely rule it out either.
Next: Blue Jays Fan Favorite Ernie Clement Was Almost a New York Yankee
