2022 has undoubtedly not been kind to Cristiano Ronaldo. He departed the team with his contract still in effect after a conflict with Manchester United. After he left the Old Trafford team, attention turned to Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Ronaldo, who was competing in his final World Cup, was picked to lead Portugal to the championship game, but they were eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing 1-0 to Morocco. The seasoned footballer was seen sobbing on the field as his terrible World Cup dream came to an end.
Ronaldo is not yet considering calling it quits on his international career
Ronaldo’s international career was expected to come to an end after the World Cup disaster, according to many. According to a Correio da Manha article, the Portuguese attacker may extend his career until the Euro 2024 competition. Ronaldo will be getting close to 40 by the time Germany hosts the next Euro Cup. He had impressively guided his team to the Euro Cup triumph in 2016, so he would be ready to repeat the achievement and end on a high note.
Speaking of Ronaldo’s performance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 37-year-old had a poor tournament, scoring just one in five games, and that goal came from a penalty kick. Additionally, he didn’t even make the starting lineup for Portugal’s last two World Cup games, a match against Morocco in the quarterfinals and a Round of 16 matches against Switzerland. Given the FIFA World Cup’s dismal performance, it is good news that Ronaldo is not yet considering calling it quits on his international career. His devoted supporters would be rooting for him to make a strong comeback in 2023 and guide Portugal to the 2024 European Championship.
Lionel Messi announced that the next World Cup final will be his final participation
After playing a key role in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Croatia in the first semi-final on Wednesday, Ronaldo’s longtime rival Lionel Messi announced that the World Cup final will be his final participation in the highlight event.
“I feel very happy, to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final,” Messi said while talking to Argentine media outlet Diario Deportivo Ole. “It’s many years for the next one and I don’t think I’ll be able to do it. And to finish like this, it’s the best,” added the Argentina captain.