Ronaldo says he is not planning to retire after World Cup
Portugal captain has one year left at a club
LONDON (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo said on Friday he would not retire after Portugal won a third World Cup and he would be at the World Cup this summer.
The Portugal captain, 32, made the comments when asked whether he would retire or play another World Cup finals.
“I will never retire. I have been playing at the highest level for 18 years and I believe in my own experience, I have played many finals,” he told reporters in Brazil after Portugal beat Italy 4-2 in their final group game.
“I have experience at the highest level and that is something that is very difficult to forget, but I want to win as many championships as I can and I will not play another World Cup.”
If he does not win a fourth World Cup, he would have played his 30th in July 2007 and had three under his belt.
“The World Cup is something that I have been playing for about five years and the level of experience that I have has been growing every year,” he said.
“I will keep playing at the biggest level, I will keep on improving, I think it is very important for me to keep growing.”
“I don’t have the desire to retire now. I just want to win. It is not that I don’t have any desire to play for a few more years, it is just that I have too much experience and I don’t want to lose it.”
The Portugal president also defended his decision to make Ronaldo captain, saying he wanted the team to be led by a player capable of leading the team in all situations.
Ronaldo leads the world with 22 goals, with 13 of those in the World Cup finals, having been named the tournament’s best player last time out.
The captain has had two unsuccessful loan spells at Valencia of Spain but he is hoping to join French giant Paris Saint-Germain on loan in June this year.
“I think from the outside I can be seen as a mercenary, as a player who goes to a club with a huge ego,” said Ronaldo. “I am a human being and I have the desire to win, that is just my personality.”
“If someone wants to go to Paris Saint-Germain and play well for that club, you
