The last championship? No, it wasn’t. Cristiano Ronaldo also wants to play EURO 2024

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was expected to be 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo’s last major championship. But the star Portuguese is not going to end his national team career just like that.

Ronaldo’s love for Portugal and its national team is impressive. While many stars end their national careers early to focus on their club careers, for Ronaldo, his home country of Portugal has always come first.

In 2014, for example, he had a serious knee injury and doctors recommended at least a two-month break so as not to risk a longer-term injury. However, Ronaldo defied the odds and competed at the World Cup in Brazil despite doctors’ insistence.

But it’s not just about championships and big tournaments, Ronaldo feels a great responsibility as captain for the team. Whenever he can a little bit, he comes to the reunion and plays most of the matches, with no inquiry against weaker opponents to go to him.

Thanks to that, he has already racked up 189 starts in the maroon and green jersey and will probably break the magic 200 mark soon. Bader Al-Mutawa (196) of Kuwait and Soh Chin Ann, who made 219 starts for Malaysia, have more starts in the national jersey.

At the same time, Ronaldo has the most goals in international starts in history, having netted 117 goals. Second Ali Daei has netted 109 goals for Iran.

However, Ronaldo’s national team career seemed to be coming to an end. At 37, it looked like the autumn World Cup in Qatar would be his last. But everyone was wrong.

“It has been a long journey, but I would like to take this opportunity to say that my journey is not over yet. I feel motivated, my ambitions are high. I’m in a national team with a lot of young players and I want to be part of this World Cup and also the 2024 European Championship,” Ronaldo said at the Portuguese association’s awards ceremony on Tuesday.

Ronaldo will be 39 at the time of Euro 2024 in Germany. He is currently in Qatar preparing for his 10th international tournament in a row.

Source: Goal, Portugal