3 reasons why Ronaldo may never again play tournament football for Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest football players to have ever graced the field. He has more individual records and honours than most if not all of his peers. The Portuguese international has achieved a lot when it comes to club football. He went a step further by captaining his nation to the European Championship title in 2016.

After setting the building blocks at Manchester United where he won multiple titles, he went on to become a club legend at Real Madrid. He was an integral part of muscling the fear factor from Barcelona as the dominant force in Spanish football.

It is said that one good turn deserves another. Ronaldo has made this possible by dazzling the football world with his talent and ruthless goal-scoring exploits.

At Juventus, he has steadily come alive to score at least a goal in every three games. This is truly a wonderful return given that he is 33 years old. He may not be the workaholic of a winger he was at United but he sure has not shown any signs of slowing down in front of goal. He is still a winner and strives to continue being the very best at what he does.

At, 33, he has not featured for Portugal since the 2018 FIFA World Cup in June. His nation was eliminated in the last 16 and that probably put a dagger through Ronaldo's tournament career at international level.

While he has hinted at playing till his late 30's, combining international football with club football may prove difficult especially with his advancing age.

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#3 Fatigue

Ronaldo's run at the World Cup ended at the last 16 stage.

Professional footballers have to contend with long seasons and a huge chunk of matches. They also have the obligation of representing their countries.

Ronaldo is a physical specimen who plays like he is ten years younger. However, fulfilling his duty to Portugal may prove to be a daunting task especially with the next major tournament being Euro 2020.

He is currently on a self-imposed break from the national team until March 2019 according to various reports. Part of his reasons is to focus on his new career at Juventus where he hopes to be the final piece of the puzzle that brings the UEFA Champions League to Turin.

Absence from international duty gives him more time to replenish his energy and thus prolong his club career.

#2 Accolades

Ronaldo has won many individual and team awards

Fans all over the world are already aware of his exploits. He has won most individual and club honours on offer. He may feel the time would be right to give the younger crop of players a chance to carry on his legacy. He has already accomplished the all-time top scorer honours for Portugal and scored the most international goals by a European player.

Also, he led Portugal to success at the 2016 European Championships so there remains little for him to achieve. The World Cup though remains elusive on his list of accolades. The next World Cup will be in 2022 and he will be about 37 years of age.

The Euros will not be such a huge motivation for him to keep playing tournament football if he wants to prolong his club career. Having already won the European title, he may feel that he has done all he could for his country.

#1 Age

Ronaldo has been at the top for most of his career.

Ronaldo is 33 years old and still going strong. He will be 35 when the European Championships kick off. Before then, there will still be plenty of matches that Portugal plays in even if they qualify directly to the finals through the UEFA Nations League.

Given that he is not one to rest at club level, it could all take a toll on him and decide the time is right to step aside from his role with Portugal.

Wayne Rooney was widely tipped to be part of the England squad when he retired in 2017 which was months to the World Cup. Obviously, he will be a key component for Portugal in the next two years at the least but his advanced football age may not allow him to perform at the highest level for his country.

At club level, he has been surrounded by world-class players that facilitated his play but this has not fully been the case at international level. Ultimately, only time will tell if the world will once more get a glimpse of Ronaldo at a major tournament.