Portugal's Euro exit likely to herald Ronaldo's international retirement

HAMBURG, Germany : Defeat for Portugal at the European Championship on Friday likely brought down the curtain on the extraordinary international career of Cristiano Ronaldo.

While Portugal’s totemic forward has made no pronouncements on his future with the national team, the 39-year-old struggled to revive former glories at the tournament in Germany and departed Euro 2024 without scoring apart from in shootouts.

Portugal lost 5-3 to France on penalties in their quarter-final after a goalless stalemate in which Ronaldo missed a glaring chance in extra time but converted one of the kicks in the shootout.

“It’s too soon and raw after the match to talk about that and there have been no individual decisions made,” coach Roberto Martinez said when asked if it had been Ronaldo’s last game in a Portugal jersey.

There will forever be debates about where he sits among the greatest footballers - in or behind the exulted company of three-times World Cup winner Pele or the extraordinary talent of Diego Maradona or long-time rival Lionel Messi.

All of them won the World Cup, which Ronaldo has not, but in terms of statistics in national team colours the 39-year-old is out there on his own.

Friday’s loss to France at the Volksparkstadion was Ronaldo’s 212th cap, significantly ahead of Messi who won his 185th for Argentina against Ecuador in the Copa America on Thursday.

Ronaldo’s 130 goals for his country is also way out on its own at the head of most scored in international football, with Messi recently moving second on the list with 108.

“Cristiano is in the national team of Portugal because he deserves to be,” Martinez had said earlier in the tournament.

In terms of longevity few can match Ronaldo, who debuted for Portugal in 2003.

He was 18