‘Before me, Portugal hadn’t won a title’ – Cristiano Ronaldo reflects on his international career after final World Cup game

Cristiano Ronaldo says he leaves with his head held high after playing his last ever World Cup match for Portugal.

Portugal exited the competition with a 1-0 defeat to rivals Spain, with Ronaldo having already revealed ahead of the game that, as expected, this would be his last World Cup.

“I’ve done my best,” the 41-year-old reflected after his side’s defeat. “I’ve won three titles for Portugal. Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won a single title. So I’m happy. To be honest, the biggest title the national team won was in 2016 (Euros), which for me is just as significant as a World Cup to be honest.

“That’s why, I repeat, apart from having a clear conscience, I couldn’t have done any better. And that’s it, tomorrow will be a new day and life goes on.

“I’m sad as it’s normal after getting knocked out of the World Cup like this. But as I said yesterday at the press conference, I gave it all, I did my best and I’m leaving with a clear conscience.

“That’s football, that’s the life of a footballer. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and you have to carry on. To be honest, it was my last World Cup, yes, but I’ll have time to think about the rest later.

“I’ll be with my family, I won’t make any decisions in the heat of the moment, and I’ll just get on with life.”