Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portugal skipper, has dismissed critics and stated his long playing career is not yet concluding. Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit, Ronaldo confirmed he is 21 goals short of his desired 1,000-goal target.
Ronaldo has scored 979 goals in his career, comprising 833 for clubs and 146 for Portugal. He expressed a dual ambition to achieve 1,000 goals and for the national team to win the Uefa Nations League.
He will feature in Jorge Jesus's first game as national team coach, ahead of Thursday's Uefa Nations League fixture against Wales. Ronaldo indicated that discussions with the Portuguese FA and Jesus persuaded him to continue playing internationally after contemplating his future following the World Cup exit.