Cristiano Ronaldo has said he expects the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be his last international tournament with Portugal and is happy the showpiece is being held there.
The national team captain was asked for his take on the competition in Qatar, and told beIN Sports (h/t Manu Sainz of AS, via Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC)
“Very good, for me. 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.
The 2022 World Cup has attracted a whole host of controversies since Qatar won with their bid to host the tournament, including but not limited to the country’s human rights record, the exceedingly hot weather—which has necessitated the competition be moved from the summer to the winter—and the lack of infrastructure needed to put it on.
Players have largely shied away from commenting on such matters, though, so it would have been a surprise had RonaldO done so—particularly as he holds ambitions to play in it.
The 35 year-old will be 37 when the tournament comes around, so it can obviously be inferred he plans to play on until at least then.
The forward keeps himself tremendously fit, though in order to ensure the longevity needed to keep playing at 37 he’ll have to learn how to manage his body correctly—something Sky Sports’ Guillem Balague does not believe he is currently doing.
Ronaldo is Portugal’s all-time top scorer with 55 goals and will soon surely become their most capped player as he is just five appearances away from surpassing Luis Figo’s record of 127.
By many the best player of all time.
