Ronaldo to continue with Portugal, sets sights on Nations League and 1,000th goal

Cristiano Ronaldo vowed to remain available for Portugal and said he is chasing two objectives — winning the UEFA Nations League and scoring his 1,000th career goal — ahead of Thursday’s Nations League meeting with Wales at the José Alvalade Stadium.

The 41-year-old, who has earned 233 caps for Portugal, revealed he had considered quitting international football after the World Cup but chose to stay following discussions with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença and new head coach Jorge Jesus. Jesus has replaced Roberto Martínez as Portugal manager and previously worked with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.

Asked if he had thought about stepping away, Ronaldo said: "Yes, I did. Of course, I'm always thinking about 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 made the remarks alongside Jesus at the Portugal federation’s campus.

Ronaldo said he still feels able to contribute on and off the pitch. "I still believe that I'm able to help the national team to reach what they want," he said. "I think I can give the national team my support, not only through the goals, but also outside of football."

On his place in the squad, Ronaldo was clear about his exit criteria. "Whenever they say they don't want me in the national team, I will be the first one to go," he said. "When I think I am not adding anything to the team, or that I create an atmosphere, I will be the first to go."

Ronaldo set out his immediate aims: "My goal is twofold: to score my 1,000th goal and to win the UEFA Nations League." He is 21 goals short of the 1,000-goal mark and added: "I know I will achieve it, but it is not an obsession," followed by, "The rest is about enjoying it, but yes, I really want to achieve this record."

Jorge Jesus, who will begin his Portugal tenure against Wales on Thursday, described Ronaldo as "a symbol of Portugal and the national team" while emphasising selection is the manager’s responsibility: "If he will play the games, he is not entitled to that, it is up to the manager to decide." Ronaldo said Jesus’s appointment was appropriate, calling it "a perfect choice" and saying the coach "brings a different atmosphere, new ideas, and a different way of speaking."

Ronaldo also addressed prolonged criticism and the prospect that this may be his final year with Portugal. He joked about detractors: "There are people who want to kill me, but only with a shotgun." He added, "I have been doing this for more than 20 years, I'm quite used to it," and, "What I can control, I will. What I can't, I won't." On retirement he said: "I don't know, I wish I knew the answer, but I don't," and, "I learned to live in the moment in my early thirties, so I don't know, but it is very likely that this will be my last year. I will tell you when my last match is."

Ronaldo will return to the José Alvalade Stadium, the club ground where his professional career began, for the Portugal home fixture against Wales, and spoke of the occasion in personal terms: "It's a special feeling because it was there where my beautiful history started," he said. Reflecting on the possibility of reaching 1,000 goals with the national team, he added: "It would be the cherry on the top of the cake to score my 1,000th goal with the national team," and, "It would be the culmination of a beautiful story."