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Former Scotland international turned pundit Craig Burley has advised Cristiano Ronaldo to step away from the Portugal national team for the betterment of the side. He believes that the former Manchester United star's time is over on the international stage.
Portugal exited the FIFA World Cup on Saturday after their 1-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals. Ronaldo came on in the second half, but failed to make an impact on the scoreline.
Speaking on ESPN FC's YouTube channel, Burley claimed it was time for Ronaldo to think about the country's future and step aside from the national team. He added that it would be best for the new manager to work with young talent and not with a player who will be in his 40s at the next FIFA World Cup. He said:
"I think from a Portugal perspective, the next World Cup he will be, what, 41 and 42. We have the Euros, but a bit like Manchester United, in my opinion. It's time for Portugal to move forward. They've seen the best of them, they've had the best of them. It's not going to get any better. He's not going to reach those heights again. Yeah. I'm not saying he can't come in and do a job, but he'll bring in the eyes of the media, he'll bring in the attention, and there's a new manager, and that's what they'll have."
Burley added:
"Is that what he wants? They have enough within the squad to go again without Cristiano Ronaldo. They have enough to rebuild and bring some freshness about it. And whether he's got it in him to say that and go, Look, I've had my time, we couldn't go over the line, I'm stepping back. For me, that would be the best thing for all parties."
If Ronaldo does decide to move on from the international stage, he will do so by being the highest scorer in men's international football with 118 goals in 196 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo's record at the FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo, being the prodigious talent that he was, made his FIFA World Cup debut aged 21 in the 2006 version of the tournament. He scored one goal in the tournament, with Portugal reaching the semi-finals and finishing fourth.
Subsequently, he played in the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments, making a total of 22 appearances, scoring eight goals and giving two assists. Ronaldo scored the most goals in the 2018 World Cup, netting four, inclusive of a hat-trick against Spain in their opener.
In the ongoing tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first male player to score in five consecutive World Cups. Surprisingly, he is yet to score a goal in the knockout stages of the competition, a record which might stand considering he possibly played his last World Cup
