Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence on his Manchester United exit after helping Portugal earn a 3-2 win over Ghana in their World Cup opener. Manchester United released a statement on Tuesday confirming that the 37-year-old had left the club by mutual consent.
An explosive interview with Piers Morgan - where Ronaldo ripped into Erik ten Hag, the Glazers and younger teammates - proved his final act as a United player. Club chiefs are now tasked with finding a replacement for last season's top goalscorer in the January transfer window.
His future at the Theatre of Dreams had dominated the discussion around Portugal's squad pre-tournament. Similar debates to the ones heard on the Old Trafford terraces had emerged, with some questioning Ronaldo's position for his country. Just two goals in his previous nine international appearances and a lack of first-team action in 2022-23 was poor preparation for a World Cup - but the veteran delivered on the biggest stage of all.
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Until now, Ronaldo had stayed quiet, avoiding media obligations despite captaining the side. However, following their opening-game win, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner - who scored Portugal’s first from the penalty spot - has “closed the chapter” on his United career.
“This was a beautiful moment… my fifth World Cup,” Ronaldo said post-match. “We won (and) we started with a very important win. We know the first match is crucial. But also a world record. The first player to score in five World Cups. That makes me proud.
“The most important step is we won. It was a week that finished this chapter (with United). This chapter is closed. We wanted to start well. We won, I could help my team.. all the rest does not matter.”
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