"We are seeing the slow decline of Cristiano Ronaldo" - Alejandro Moreno speaks about the Portuguese star's potential retirement plans

ESPN football pundit Alejandro Moreno feels the slow but sure decline of Cristiano Ronaldo is something the Portuguese forward refuses to accept.

Speaking on ESPN's show, Moreno said:

"It gets to a point in your career where you are simply not doing things that you did back in your prime. We're seeing the slow decline of Cristiano Ronaldo and we're seeing moments like that hat trick and we're like - he's back, Cristiano is back. No, that's an outlier, that's not the direction we're going."

Moreno feels Cristiano Ronaldo knows the truth but is not someone who accepts bad news in a quiet way.

"He knows this and he's not willing to accept it and when that's taken away from him, for him to decide, see the big picture and say - 'You don't need me anymore, I'm not needed anymore, I'm not the best player anymore, I'm going to take myself out' - I don't think he has that in his makeup."

Moreno also added that with Ronaldo, expecting the extraordinary is the norm and hence believes the player will be the one to call time on his career.

"He will go for as long as he wants to go and he will be the one that says 'I'm done with you, you're not done with me, I'm done with you' and that is the point at which time he'll walk away and that isn't anytime soon."

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Cristiano Ronaldo's performances this season

The Portuguese captain re-joined Manchester United from Juventus last summer. He has found the back of the net 18 times and has provided three assists in 32 games across all competitions so far this season for the Red Devils.

Ronaldo has been instrumental for his club, scoring six match-winning goals in the Premier League (the most alongside Mohamed Salah). He was also vital in their progression from the group stages in the UEFA Champions League, where he scored three match-deciding goals in six outings.

The Portuguese forward has a massive game on Tuesday night when his national team takes on North Macedonia. The winner of the contest will confirm their berth in the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar later this year.

Even at 37, he seems to be the shining light for his club and country and as things stand, retirement may just have to wait for Cristiano Ronaldo.