Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best football players in history, is going through one of those moments that will define his career. The question everyone has asked for years (and Ronadlo has always denied) is that he should be retiring. But then you look at his physique and think, no - I should be retiring. How Ronaldo seems so good at 39 years old is incredible. The regimented and well-documented lifestyle he lives and his technical ability mean he's still one of the best players in the world.
Still, he's 39 years old and just missed a Penalty for Portugal in the UEFA Euro tournament and a few tears - and if you were placing live bets on sports, you wouldn't have bet Ronaldo would miss that.
So, is it time for CR7 to hang up his boots at the national level?
The Underwhelming Euro 2024
It wasn't the best Euros for Ronaldo.
A 5-3 shoot-out defeat followed a goalless quarter-final with France to terminate Portugal's campaign. Though Ronaldo missed a gilt-edged opportunity penalty before advancing to an eventually lost quarter-final against France, it was not enough to prevent Biaconeri from being dumped out of this season's competition.
For the first time in a major tournament, Ronaldo didn't score. His display has sparked discussions about whether Ronaldo is doing well enough to compete internationally.
The image of Ronaldo embracing Pepe in tears as they left the field gave a graphic representation that perhaps an era is over. Scoring 130 international goals and having 212 caps, there is no doubting the legacy, but are we coming to the end of an era on that front?
Ronaldo's International Career
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a legendary journey with the Portugal national team.
He earned his first senior call-up in 2003, aged 18, and among some of his greatest challenges was wearing a Portuguese jersey at six European Championships and five World Cup tournaments. He guided Portugal to its first major trophy at Euro 2016 and the inaugural UEFA Nations League crown in 2019. He is his country's all-time scorer with 130 goals and the most-capped player.
He scored a record 14 goals in the European Championships and made more appearances at the tournament than any other player. However, his more recent form has elicited concerns.
Retirement
Each point there is utterly valid—the case for Ronaldo to call time on his Portugal career really boils down to how he's been playing of late and the natural slowing as players age.
At 39, his reflexes and pace have diminished. With the inability to find any goals throughout Euro 2024 and numerous captions of different failed shots, it is clear that his days as a frontman are over. Ronaldo racked up more shots than any other player in the tournament, and they all failed to find their way through for a goal. Anyone who knows Ronaldo knows that isn't Ronaldo.
Indeed, with slower reflexes and a lack of goals, is now his time?!
The Emotional Dilemma
Leaving your international team is never a simple task, especially for someone of Ronaldo's caliber. His passion and loyalty to Portugal cannot be questioned. It was the same with Messi, who cried on the bench as he was withdrawn from his last Copa América final due to injury.
Of course, the second side of this decision is aging and new talent. Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Jude Bellingham, and Cole Palmer are all almost 20 years younger than him, and they have rapid reflexes and a relentless pace.
In the cutthroat world of elite football, any dip in performance can have a massive effect on player effectiveness. Of course, Ronaldo does not want to give up the game, which is only natural.
Whether Ronaldo retires will depend on his performance in Saudi Arabia, where he isn't actually doing too badly. In the 23/24 season, he scored 35 goals to set a new league record. Still, Saudi Arabia's level is still far behind European and international levels.
So, do you think Ronaldo will retire? His achievements for Portugal are practically unrivaled, but the form seems to be finally suggesting he might call it a day soon. With fans' and experts' eyes to watch his next season, it'll be interesting to see how he performs.