Cristiano Ronaldo has no plans to represent Portugal in international tournaments after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"I expect Qatar could be my final World Cup. I often go on holidays there, to Qatar as well as Dubai. I am happy because for sure it will be last international tournament." Ronaldo said, according to ESPN.
The 31-year-old Ronaldo will be 37 at the time of the 2022 World Cup and playing beyond 2022 would put him into his forties. There is no question Ronaldo keeps himself in great physical shape, but his recent performances have lead some to believe that the top has already been reached for the 2015 Ballon d'Or nominee.
"I think Ronaldo is going down physically, he has peaked," Spanish soccer expert Guillem Balague said, according to Sky Sports. "He has demanded lot of his body from very early on. He went to the gym a lot when he didn't need to. He was self-learning as he was going along which perhaps meant he overexerted himself with weights, something he perhaps shouldn't have done."
A member of the Portuguese international side since 2003, Ronaldo is expected to feature for Portugal at the upcoming European championship in France this year. It will be an opportunity for Portugal to capture its first international trophy since he joined the team, according to The Score.
Despite being comfortable commenting on his future in international competition, Ronaldo made it clear he will decide on his club future when the time comes.
"This is the best league in the world, although I was in the Premiership. It's great, competitive, with great players. It is a privilege to leave my mark on it. I want to stay here two more years. And the future we'll see..." Ronaldo said to Manu Sainz.
