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Cristiano Ronaldo says he still has plenty to offer Portugal as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain spoke on Wednesday at the Portugal Football Summit ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Nations League match against Wales.
Ronaldo has scored 979 career goals, including 833 for clubs and 146 for Portugal.
He needs 21 more goals to reach the landmark he has openly targeted.
However, Ronaldo said he wants more than a personal record.
“One goal is to achieve both reaching 1,000 goals and the national team trying to win this Nations League,” he said.
Portugal will begin a new era under head coach Jorge Jesus.
Jesus replaced Roberto Martinez after Portugal exited the World Cup in the round of 16 against eventual champions Spain.
Ronaldo said he hopes the new coach enjoys a successful start.
Ronaldo said scoring his 1,000th goal for Portugal would make the achievement particularly special.
He described the milestone as the culmination of a long career.
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“It wouldn’t be the end of it, but it would be a beautiful story,” Ronaldo said.
The veteran forward insisted that the pursuit does not dominate his thoughts.
He acknowledged that he wants to reach the milestone but said he prefers to focus on enjoying football each day.
“I will get there,” Ronaldo said.
He added that the rest of the journey involves enjoying every day rather than treating the target as an obsession.
Ronaldo admitted that he considered his international future after Portugal’s World Cup elimination.
However, discussions with the Portuguese Football Federation and Jesus encouraged him to continue.
He said the national team still believes he can contribute.
Ronaldo said his main responsibility remains producing on the pitch.
He wants to score goals, create opportunities and help Portugal win matches.
The captain also made clear that he would accept a decision to leave the squad if the coaching staff no longer wanted him.
“If the manager doesn’t count on me, I can leave today no problem at all,” Ronaldo said.
He added that he would leave when he felt he could no longer contribute or when the team no longer wanted him.
Ronaldo again refused to set a firm retirement date.
He said he has learned to focus on the present rather than planning too far into the future.
He acknowledged that continuing his career remains possible.
“Is it possible? Yes. Highly likely? Yes. But will it happen? No, I don’t know,” he said.
The forward therefore remains focused on his current role with Portugal rather than announcing a timeline for his retirement.
Ronaldo also addressed criticism from sections of the media.
He said some outlets had tried to undermine him throughout his career.
The Portugal captain dismissed the idea that such criticism would force him out of the spotlight.
He used a metaphor about avoiding bullets to describe his ability to withstand criticism.
Ronaldo remains 21 goals away from 1,000 career goals.
For now, he continues to lead Portugal while pursuing another Nations League title and the biggest individual scoring milestone of his career.
[…] Ronaldo Targets 1,000 Goals While Chasing More Nations League Glory […]