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There was much celebration around the world when Cristiano Ronaldo decided to end his nine-month absence from the international scene and make himself available for the latest round of EURO 2020 Qualifiers.
The Juventus superstar had not represented Portugal since their exit at the round-of-16 stage at the last World Cup, and as such, fans were eager to see him don the colors of the Selecao once more.
However, it turned out not to be the homecoming many expected, as he was toothless in his first match back in the goalless draw against Austria. Thereafter, his night ended early in the first half of the game against Serbia when he pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
It is a common trend for the average footballer to retire from international duty first before calling time on their career. While Ronaldo is certainly not an average footballer, the time might be right for him to take this bold step. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at four reasons why Ronaldo should call it quits with the Portugal national team.
#4 His country seems to be getting on just fine without him
Ronaldo's status as Portugal's greatest ever footballer is not in doubt - his records speak for themselves and while the country might have been largely dependent on his services over the last decade, events in recent times seem to suggest that is no longer the case.
Without a doubt, they won EURO 2016 and Ronaldo played a major role in getting them there. It must be remembered that their efforts in the final against the almighty hosts and much more fancied France were largely without their iconic number 7 after he pulled up early in the match, injured.
In the nine months since Ronaldo last represented them, Portugal have been unbeaten in nine matches, impressively making it to the semi-final of the maiden edition of the UEFA Nations League after they topped a group also containing Poland and Italy.
Ronaldo's return in the match against Austria was supposed to make them even stronger, but the reverse seemed to be the case, as the 34-year-old proved to be a hindrance to their attacking fluidity. The result saw Portugal helpless in a goalless stalemate even though they were expected to win.
The story was much the same in the second match against Serbia. For 30 minutes before Ronaldo's substitution, Portugal failed to really impose themselves on the game. They found themselves constantly sticking to the same gameplan of delivering balls into the box to play off Ronaldo's strengths even though there were better options. With his presence, none of the players seemed willing to take the initiative to look for alternatives despite being a goal behind.
This all changed after Ronaldo left the field. The players were given more freedom to express themselves, dominate the match and fashion numerous chances from different patterns of play.
To put this in perspective, Portugal's sole goal on the night came through Danilo's stunner from 25 yards. It was hard to imagine him being so adventurous had Ronaldo been on the field (much like Eder's title-winning goal at EURO 2016).
With players like Bernardo Silva, Raphael Guerreiro, Andre Silva, Danilo Perreira among others, Portugal has world class players who can hold their own almost anywhere in the world.
This is in no way undermining Ronaldo's immense contributions to Portuguese football which are unlikely to be matched. However, every good thing must come to an end and Portugal seem to be on the right track to cope without Ronaldo.
#3 He needs to focus on club duties
Juventus spent a club record fee to sign Ronaldo last summer and are paying him a huge amount of money weekly to keep him on their books. Hence, it should be the top priority for Ronaldo to focus on repaying their faith. Anything otherwise would be criminal on his part.
The Italian giants signed him for one purpose only - to bring European glory to Turin. As such, the former Madrid man must channel all his energies into making this grand dream a reality for the Bianconerri. Now, international duties only serving as a hindrance to his quest for the UEFA Champions League title for the Old Lady.
International football still has its value as putting on a national jersey and representing millions of compatriots ranks is among the highest honors in a professional footballer's career. However, everything has its time and place. Having given his all for Portugal, it is time for Ronaldo to focus solely on performing at an optimum level for Juventus.
#2 To reduce the workload on him
The average world class footballer plays between 55 - 60 top-level matches every season for club and country. This is 60 times when they put their bodies under the intense strain and rigors associated with professional football for 90 minutes.
Breaking it further, the average footballer spends about 15 years playing at the top level and when you do the math, you see the massive stress footballers undergo over the course of their professional career.
Despite the fact that they go through intense workout and conditioning sessions to reduce the risk of injuries, there is only so much one can do. The reality is that virtually every footballer throughout history has picked up one knock or two and this takes a toll on their bodies later on in their careers and even beyond retirement.
It is for this reason that most footballers retire internationally once they approach their early thirties to focus on just club football to reduce the number of matches they play and concordantly reduce their chances of sustaining injuries.
Cristiano Ronaldo broke out in the year 2003 and amazingly, 16 years later, he is still waxing strong at the very top of the global game. The 34-year-old is rapidly closing in on 1,000 professional matches which is indicative of just how much football and mileage he has in his legs. It is no hidden secret that Ronaldo is one of the most dedicated and hardworking players in history, taking immense care of his body such that at 34 he looks as fit as ever.
However, the bottom line is that no matter how hard you try, you can't cheat nature. For all of his superhuman attributes and performance levels, Ronaldo is still very much human and has started to show some signs of decline in his performances at times.
In the match against Serbia, the former Real Madrid player pulled a hamstring in what seemed to be a routine chase of a ball. This could be a sign that his body is no longer in as pristine shape as it once was.
If he retires from international duties, that would mean that he reduces his yearly exertions by at least seven matches, while also cutting down significantly on his travels and this could prove extremely helpful in prolonging his already elongated career.
#1 He has nothing else to prove
It is widely believed that to be the greatest, you have to prove yourself on multiple stages, especially for club and country.
This yardstick is one which has been ticked by Ronaldo, as he has dominated and continues to dominate in three of Europe's five major leagues, while he has also laid down his marker in the annals of international football.
His numbers are well documented and as such, repeating them would be futile. The reality is that there is almost nothing left for Ronaldo to achieve on a personal or collective level.
With 85 goals in 156 matches, he is Portugal's all-time record goalscorer, which makes him the second highest goalscorer in international matches, as well as the highest in European history.
There have been goals at four different World Cups, in addition to scoring in nine consecutive international tournaments and when you add this to the fact that he has cemented his legacy at Manchester United, Real Madrid and is on his way to doing so with Juventus in addition to his numerous individual accolades, you realize that Ronaldo truly has nothing left to prove.
The Juventus number 7 believes himself to be the greatest in history and this is a viewpoint held by millions around the world, this writer included. As such, there seems little sense in continuing to expose himself to unwanted injuries with his national team.
