Cristiano Ronaldo continues his journey with the Portugal national team

Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo has been included in Roberto Martinez's national team squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Despite being 38 years old and currently playing for Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr, Ronaldo's inclusion in the squad shows that he is still a valuable player. Moving to a lower-profile league like Saudi Arabia at his age usually indicates a player winding down their career, but Ronaldo has never spoken of doing so.

In the past, Ronaldo led Portugal to the World Cup, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Morocco. During the tournament, then-head coach Fernando Santos left Ronaldo on the bench for two crucial knockout games, choosing to play younger players instead. Some wondered if this was a sign that Ronaldo's time with the Portuguese national team was coming to an end.

Coach Fernando Santos left Ronaldo on the bench In the World Cup 2022

Ronaldo’s international career will continue

Many believed that Ronaldo's time as an influential player for the Portugal national team was coming to an end when he was left on the bench during a crucial match. However, the arrival of new Spanish coach Roberto Martinez has changed things. Martinez personally met with Ronaldo before deciding to include him in the squad, indicating that Ronaldo's status as a key player has not diminished.

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When Martinez was appointed in January, he expressed his desire to contact all 26 players from the previous World Cup squad, including Ronaldo.

"I want to contact all 26 players who were at the last World Cup; Cristiano is a player on that list."

Ronaldo’s international career will continue

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a very committed player, a player like him can bring experience and is very important for the team. I don't look to the age, I don't look to other aspects" - explained coach Roberto Martinez on why he chose Ronaldo for the squad.

Previously, Martinez flew to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to watch a friendly match between the Saudi All-Star team (which included Ronaldo) and PSG. Afterwards, he spoke with Ronaldo about his future with the Portugal national team.

What records can Ronaldo achieve with Portugal?

Currently, Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the joint-most international caps in the history of men's football with 196, which he shares with Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa. If Ronaldo plays in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, he will have 198 caps.

Ronaldo will ahve chance to make records with Portugal

However, there is a catch. Al-Mutawa is still an active player and may feature in Kuwait's match against the Philippines on the same day that Portugal plays Liechtenstein. This sets up an interesting battle between the two players.

In addition to his caps record, Ronaldo has also scored 118 international goals for Portugal, which is the highest number of international goals scored in men's football history. He has the opportunity to extend this record even further, distancing himself from Ali Daei in second place with 109 goals. Lionel Messi follows in third place with 98 goals.

What's new in the Portugal's squad?

Portugal’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg is similar to the one that competed in the World Cup 2022. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot have been called up, as have Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, and Joao Cancelo.

Portugal's squad

The most notable returnee is Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, who missed the World Cup due to injury. Veteran defender Pepe has also been included in the squad, showcasing his durability at the age of 40.

Portugal kicks off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on March 24th against Liechtenstein in Group J, before facing Luxembourg on March 27th. The other teams in the group are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, and Iceland, all of whom are considered inferior to Portugal in terms of quality. Therefore, Ronaldo is likely to have ample opportunities to play and break more records for his national team.

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