Ronaldo happy to leave Man Utd, eyes international records
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to its first international triumph in the 2016 European Championships but even after a stellar career there are still milestones for him to tick off.
The 38-year-old was named in new boss Roberto Martinez’s first Portugal squad last month, ending suggestions that Ronaldo could have played his last game in international football. Martinez said of his decision: “He is very important for the team. I do not look at the age.”
Whether Ronaldo has earnt himself a starting berth is still unknown, but even an appearance off the bench could see him become the man with the most international appearances of all time. If he earns his 197th cap for Portugal against Liechtenstein or Luxembourg he will overtake Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa to be the outright record-holder.
He will also have a chance to his record tally of 118 international goals.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo believes he is now "a better man" after the painful end to his Manchester United career.
The Portugal international returned to Old Trafford for a second spell in 2021, after 12 years away from United with Real Madrid and Juventus. He finished as the team's top scorer in the 2021-22 season, but struggled for minutes after Erik ten Hag took over as manager.
Ronaldo was critical of a number of things related to United during an explosive interview with Piers Morgan which aired in the autumn. His contract with the club was terminated by mutual agreement in November, and he is now playing his club football with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
“Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side, Ronaldo said in a press conference ahead of Portugal's upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers (via O Jogo ). The 38-year-old was named in Roberto Martinez's first squad after the Spaniard took over from previous manager Fernando Santos.
"I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets," Ronaldo continued. "Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth.
“When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below. Now, I’m more prepared and learning that was important, because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man.”
After leaving United but before joining Al-Nassr, Ronaldo was part of Santos' Portugal squad for the 2022 World Cup. He started and scored in a win over Ghana, but had lost his place by the time the knockout rounds came along and failed to find the net as the Euro 2016 champions were eliminated by Morocco at the quarter-final stage.
