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Portuguese defender José Fonte believes Cristiano Ronaldo can play up until the age of 41 should he choose to do so. The iconic forward has shown no signs of slowing down and has been a colossal figure for Juventus in the 2019/20 campaign.
The Portuguese pair shared the international stage for some time now. Cristiano Ronaldo helped guide the Seleção to the UEFA European Championship in 2016, where Fonte played a massive role in defence alongside FC Porto's Pepe.
Despite having turned 35 in February 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo has been as crucial as ever for club and country. His performances in the UEFA Nations League during the 2018/19 campaign were nothing short of breathtaking. The former Real Madrid winger scored a stellar hat-trick against Switzerland to fire Portugal into the final, where they beat Virgil van Dijk's Netherlands.
'If Cristiano Ronaldo wants it, he'll do it,' says Fonte
Speaking on Cristiano Ronaldo's future, Fonte expressed his views on the 35-year-old's unbelievable physical conditioning. The former Southampton defender believes that the striker can go on to play for a few more years. Fonte commented;
"If he (Cristiano Ronaldo) wants it, he will do it, let me tell you that. At 35, he is still so fast and powerful."
The 2020 edition of the UEFA Euros were supposed to kick off with a clash between Italy and Turkey on Friday as per the original schedule. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 campaign, the quadrennial event has been postponed to the calendar year 2021.
Speaking on the Euros, Fonte is of the firm opinion that Portugal are on track for a bright future with the current crop of young players led by Cristiano Ronaldo. The 36-year-old commented;
"Portugal is in great shape in terms of the quality of players we have. So if anything it’s just going to help us, because our players – especially our young talents – will mature and will develop even more."
With the likes of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and João Félix, the 2016 Euros winners could go on to establish an era of dominance. The former EPL defender believes that this exciting squad along with the 'monster' that is Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal have nothing to worry about. He continued;
"We have such a great generation coming through now, with players like João Félix for example. And [Cristiano] Ronaldo is still proving that he is the best – he is still a monster. As long as there are no injuries, we will be fine."
Currently plying his trade for LOSC Lille in Ligue 1, the Portuguese defender is hopeful of staying injury-free to continue playing for a few more years, like Cristiano Ronaldo.
The forward's physical conditioning belies his age. At 35, an age widely considered ideal for retirement or moving to a lesser league for a final payday before retirement, Cristiano Ronaldo has no such plans. The legendary former Manchester United man is still adamant about playing at the highest level of football.
It's hard to disagree with him, considering that he's scored 21 goals in 22 Serie A games this season and has spearheaded Juventus' charges across all fronts. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently on a jaw-dropping 99 international goals in 164 appearances for Portugal.
