Veterans Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe both refused to be drawn on their international future after Portugal’s quarterfinal defeat to France at Euro 2024 on Saturday
Portugal's head coach has kept quiet on Cristiano Ronaldo's future with the national team following its Euro 2024 exit.
However, speculation is rife the 39-year-old soccer icon may soon hang up his international boots. Despite a forgettable performance in Germany where he didn't net a single goal – a first for him in a major tournament – Ronaldo was seen comforting an emotional Pepe after Portugal's gut-wrenching penalty shootout loss to France.
While neither Ronaldo nor Pepe have announced any plans to retire from international play, whispers suggest they might be honored with a send-off match later this year. Their involvement in Nations League games and World Cup qualifiers remains uncertain.
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When pressed about whether the duo had donned the Portugal jersey for the last time, Portugal head coach Martinez stated: "It's too soon and raw after the match to talk about that and there have been no individual decisions made."
Ronaldo, with a staggering 130 goals from 212 caps, had previously declared that this Euros would be his sixth and final one. It's unlikely he'll participate in the next Euros at 43, and Martinez faced sharp criticism for starting him in all of Portugal's matches in Germany.
Portugal's soccer team, after a promising start, hit a dry spell failing to net any goals in over five hours across its last three games. Star players Diogo Jota from Liverpool and PSG's Goncalo Ramos watched from the sidelines during the stalemate with France.
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Veteran defender Pepe, post-match, sidestepped questions about hanging up his boots, stating: "This is not the time to talk about a certain farewell to the national team. It is a moment of loss. I will have the opportunity to talk about it."
Elaborating on the loss, he added: “It’s hard to find words for the performance we played.. The level of work deserved a different result. Unfortunately, that’s football. Four or five days ago we were all happy because we beat Slovenia, but today we’re sad.
"I congratulate my team-mates, who fought hard, who did what our coach asked and did well. We had our chances to score, we played the game intelligently."
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