Ronaldo will decide his future with the Portuguese team after the World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo will decide on his future with the Portuguese team after the World Cup ends, following a dramatic victory over Croatia in the knock-out round.
Cristiano Ronaldo will not make any decisions about his future with the Portuguese team until the World Cup campaign ends, in the context that the team is still playing very well after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia. In his sixth appearance at the tournament, Ronaldo ended his scoreless run in the knockout round on Thursday when he scored from the penalty spot, helping Portugal level after Ivan Perisic opened the scoring.
Ronaldo was suddenly replaced in the 81st minute, when coach Roberto Martinez brought Ruben Neves on to the field to strengthen the midfield after Croatia regained the game. Goncalo Ramos, a substitute, scored to increase the score to 2-1 for Portugal with a header in the 94th minute. The match also had a controversial situation when Josko Gvardiol had a chance to equalize but was denied due to an offside decision, when Igor Matanovic had a light touch on a pass, causing Mario Pasalic to be considered offside.
The controversial decision has ensured that Ronaldo will have at least one more appearance on football's biggest stage, as Portugal travel to Dallas to face Spain next Monday. Before Thursday's match, it was reported that Ronaldo had decided to end his international career at the end of Portugal's campaign, but he insists he is yet to consider his options. "The future is not important at the moment," Ronaldo told Sport TV. "I will talk about it, I will have time — after we win or lose — to talk to my family and then make a decision the way I usually do. I no longer make emotional decisions. Now, I will be calm about everything. Right now, the important thing is to enjoy today."
Ronaldo's successful penalty was his 31st shot in World Cup knockout matches, and also the only time in his 25 touches against Croatia that occurred inside the penalty area. Opta calculators estimate that Portugal have a 5.13% chance of winning their first World Cup, while Spain have a 13.17% chance of winning their second title. La Roja is a slightly higher favorite to advance to the quarter-finals, with a probability of 59.8%, and Ronaldo knows that coach Roberto Martinez's team will face a tough challenge. "We know Spain has the quality to win the World Cup," said the Real Madrid legend. "It will be a difficult match like all the matches from now on. We know them very well. We will be prepared."
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