Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed he will "never turn his back" on his country or teammates despite storming off the pitch in floods of tears after his side were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup at the quarter-finals.
The 37-year-old's World Cup dream came crashing down on Saturday afternoon when Portugal were beaten 1-0 by Morocco, who continued their run of upsets to join France in the semi-finals, having already defeated Belgium and Spain earlier in the tournament.
Ronaldo, who was the only player in Qatar without a club after his contract was terminated by Manchester United, had never reached a World Cup final in his career and despite his goalscoring talents, had never scored in the knockout stages of any of the five tournaments he played in.
He was left on the bench for much of Portugal's last-16 clash with Switzerland and again for Saturday's quarter-final loss amid speculation of a feud between him and boss Fernando Santos.
Following their elimination, Ronaldo left the pitch in floods of tears after what many believe will be his last World Cup appearance. He will be 41 years old when the next World Cup is held in 2026.
However, the superstar has now opened up on his World Cup exit, reaffirming his commitment to the team and claiming that he was "always one fighting for the objective of all". He also suggested the tournament in Qatar may not be his last, having previously stated his intention to lead Portugal at Euro 2024.
In a statement, he wrote: "Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career. Fortunately I won many titles of international dimension, including Portugal, but putting our country's name on the highest foot in the World was my biggest dream.
'I fought for it. I fought hard for this dream. In the five appearances I scored in World Cups over 16 years, always by the side of great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I gave my all. Leave it all out on the field. I never turned my face to the fight and I never gave up on that dream."
'Sadly yesterday the dream ended," he added. "It's not worth reacting in the heat of the moment. I just want you all to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed not for a moment. I was always one fighting for the objective of all and I would never turn my back on my colleagues and my country.
'Not much more to say for now. Thank you Portugal. Thank you Qatar. The dream was nice while it lasted... Now, it's hoping that time will be good advisor and allow each one to draw their own conclusions."
Ronaldo's World Cup heartbreak comes after he left Manchester United at the start of the tournament, having slammed the club in a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan.
He had returned to the club in October 2021 but had come under fire for his attitude in recent months amid rumours of a rift between him and manager Erik Ten Hag. In the interview with Morgan, Ronaldo said he did not respect the coach, and claimed "zero progress" had been made at the club since he left for Real Madrid in 2009.
After his departure from the club, where he won three Premier League titles and the Champions League during his first stint, Ronaldo released another statement, writing: "Following conversations with Manchester United, we have mutually agreed to end our contract early. I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge. I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future."
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