Ronaldo left open the possibility of continuing to play and said Portugal deserved to reach the Euro 2024 semi-finals more than France.
“We wanted and deserved better,” Cristiano Ronaldo wrote on social network X on July 6. “For us, for each of you and for Portugal. We are grateful for everything you have given us and everything we have achieved so far.”
According to some rumors, Ronaldo may say goodbye to the Portuguese national team after the failure at Euro 2024. However, he himself has not discussed this, even hinting that he may continue playing. “On and off the field, I am sure that this legacy will be honored and will continue to be built together,” Ronaldo added.
Ronaldo applauds fans after losing 3-5 to France in the penalty shootout of the Euro 2024 quarter-finals on July 5. Photo: AFP
At 39, Ronaldo is arguably playing his last Euros. Despite starting five games, including four full ones, and having 23 shots – more than anyone else at the tournament – he failed to score. It was the first time the man with six Euros and five World Cups has failed to score at a major international tournament.
In the quarter-finals on July 5, Ronaldo and his teammates drew 0-0 with France after 120 minutes, before losing 3-5 in the penalty shootout.
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At Euro 2024, Ronaldo covered a total of 49.64 km, an average of 9.2 km per game. This figure was affected by the fact that he played two full matches with extra time in the round of 16 and quarter-finals. However, it is still higher than other strikers such as Kylian Mbappe (8.3 km) or Romelu Lukaku (8.52 km).
Ronaldo remains the all-time leading scorer at the Euros, with 14 goals after six tournaments. He also leads the way in assists, with eight, level with Czech legend Karel Poborsky. Including the World Cup, Ronaldo has scored 22 goals, but only three have come in the knockout stages, level with Zinedine Zidane. The three goals came against the Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro 2004, the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 and Wales in the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
He also holds the record for playing 212 matches and scoring 130 goals on the international stage. His best achievement with the team was winning the Euro 2016, Portugal’s first international title.
