Cristiano Ronaldo goes against the will of his family by continuing to play high -level football at 40.
The Portuguese striker continues to regularly score goals for the Saudi club Al Nassr and internationally and considers that there is no reason to hang up for the moment.
Ronaldo scored 946 times during his glorious career which marked him at Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus and he remains convinced that he can still succeed at the highest level.
Speaking after receiving the Prestígio Prize during the Portugal Football Globes gala last night, the 40 -year -old said: “I always have this passion. My family tells me that it is time to stop, that I don’t need to score 1,000 goals since I have already scored more than 900.
“But that’s not how I see it. I continue to produce good things, I still help my club and my country. So why stop now? I’m sure when I am done, I will go back to flourish because I have given everything. For the moment, it is a question of enjoying the present moment. I know that I don’t have many years left, but the few years left, I want to enjoy it as much as possible.”
Goals are no longer an obsession – Ronaldo
Ronaldo has always had an unquenchable thirst for goals, but he insists that this thirst has diminished and that he is now enjoying being able to play.
“To be honest, I no longer see it as an obsession,” he added. “If you asked me for 20 years ago, I might have said something different, that I wanted to conquer the world. But now I see things differently. Age teaches us to think otherwise. My philosophy is to live day by day, because things can change in an instant. In this game, we cannot do long-term projects.”
Portugal can qualify for the World Cup next week and give Ronaldo a last chance to perform on the world stage.
Roberto Martinez’s team will compete in the playoffs against the Republic of Ireland and Hungary with victories in both cases, which will give them a chance to ensure their place in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
“Our goal is to win the next two matches and ensure our place at the World Cup,” said Ronaldo. “We will think of the tournament later. For the moment, we have to focus on the present while keeping an eye on what awaits us. It would be a dream, but a step at a time.
“I have been in a national team for 22 years. It says a lot about the passion I have to wear this jersey, to win trophies, to play for Portugal.
“I often say that if I could, I would play football only for the national team and not for any club, because it is the ultimate in what a footballer can accomplish.”
