Ronaldo reveals he considered retiring after World Cup but will win 234th Portugal cap against Wales

Cristiano Ronaldo considered walking away from international football after the World Cup but has chosen to continue, and will earn his 234th Portugal cap when Jorge Jesus’s side host Wales in Lisbon on Thursday in the UEFA Nations League.

Ronaldo, who turns 42 in February and is currently playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, was asked directly whether he had thought about retiring from international duty after a World Cup in which several of the game’s biggest names delivered standout performances, fuelling speculation that his time with Portugal had run its course.

“Yes I did,” Ronaldo said. “Of course, I’m always thinking on my decisions, my future, the present also. I’m a thinker. You have to think. This is why you see me here now. It means I will continue.”

He added that conversations with the Portuguese football federation president and head coach Jorge Jesus helped shape his decision. “I still believe that I’m able to help the national team to reach what they want, and will finish when I feel like I’m not doing anything here,” he said. “I think I can give to the national team my support, not only through the goals, but also outside of football.”

Thursday’s game at the José Alvalade Stadium — the home of Sporting CP, Ronaldo’s first club — has been framed by some commentators as a potential farewell appearance, though the five-time Ballon d’Or winner gave no indication he views it that way.

The match comes amid a backdrop of domestic criticism in Portugal. Leading newspaper A Bola ran a reader poll ahead of the Wales fixture in which Ronaldo failed to make the public’s preferred starting XI, and the forward acknowledged that a section of the Portuguese media has turned against him.

“I feel the Portuguese fans like me, but I do understand that some TV channels want to criticise me — they’ve tried to kill me, but only with a shotgun,” Ronaldo said. “They are dying for me not to come to the national team anymore, 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.”

Ronaldo currently stands on 979 career goals. He denied being obsessed with reaching the 1,000-goal landmark, though he acknowledged he would love to reach the milestone in Portugal colours.