Cristiano Ronaldo was the main attraction at the Portugal Football Globes gala, where he received the Prestígio Award honoring his legendary career with the national team. The former Real Madrid forward, who has lifted both the European Championship and the Nations League with Portugal, delivered an emotional speech about his enduring pride in representing his country.
Cristiano: Portugal is the pinnacle
“I’ve been with the national team for 22 years. That alone says a lot about the passion I have for wearing this shirt, for winning trophies, for playing for Portugal,” Ronaldo said. “I often say, if I could, I’d play soccer only for the national team and not for any club, because that’s the pinnacle of what a footballer can achieve.”
Ronaldo still chasing greatness
After the ceremony, the 40-year-old once again showed the ambition and competitive fire that have defined his career. Despite having already scored more than 900 career goals, Ronaldo insisted he’s not ready to stop.
“I still have the passion for this. My family tells me it’s time to stop, that I don’t need to score 1,000 goals since I’ve already scored over 900,” the Al Nassr attacker said with a smile. “But that’s not how I see it. I’m still producing good things, still helping my club and my country. So why stop now? I’m sure that when I finish, I’ll walk away fulfilled because I gave everything. For now, it’s about enjoying the moment. I know I don’t have many years left, but the few that remain, I want to enjoy them to the fullest.”
“No long-term plans, just one day at a time”
When asked about his goals for the future, Ronaldo said he’s no longer obsessed with records or long-term milestones.
“To be honest, I don’t see it as an obsession anymore,” he explained. “If you’d asked me 20 years ago, maybe I would’ve said something different, that I wanted to conquer the world. But now I see things differently. Age teaches us to think another way. My philosophy is to live day by day, because things can change in an instant. You can’t make long-term plans in this game.”
Focus on qualifying for 2026 World Cup
Still on stage, Ronaldo also touched on Portugal’s short-term goal: qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
“Our goal is to win the next two matches and secure our place at the World Cup,” he said. “We’ll think about the tournament later. For now, we need to focus on the present while keeping an eye on what’s ahead. It would be a dream, but one step at a time.”
Portugal legends “tired” of Ronaldo
Ronaldo shared the evening with several former teammates and icons of Portuguese soccer who have already retired, including Rui Patrício, Pepe, Jorge Andrade, Beto, and Ricardo Quaresma.
“I see Rui, Pepe, Jorge Andrade, Beto, Quaresma… and I think to myself, ‘I’m still here,’” he said, laughing. “I know they must be tired of seeing me at these ceremonies, but I believe I still bring a lot to the national team and to the game.”
Next up: World Cup qualifying
Ronaldo will once again captain Portugal this Saturday when they host Ireland. Three days later, they’ll face Hungary at home in what could seal their qualification for the World Cup.