Portugal prepares for post-Ronaldo era

The fortunes of Portugal's national team have been inextricably linked with Cristiano Ronaldo for nearly two decades.

Is a new era upon us?

Ronaldo was in tears as he made his way to the locker room following Portugal's 1-0 loss to Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

It remains to be seen if that was the last time the world saw Ronaldo on soccer's international stage. In a post on Instagram on Sunday, he stopped short of announcing his retirement from international duty, but said his dream of winning the World Cup had "ended".

If he does stop playing for Portugal, it marks a huge moment for the national team, given Ronaldo is its captain, record scorer and greatest ever player.

There's a chance the team might also have a different coach for the first time since 2014 when qualification for the 2024 European Championship begins in March.

Ronaldo said in a cryptic social media post that his dream of winning the World Cup with Portugal has ended, while stopping short of announcing his retirement from international duty.

Taking stock

The 37-year-old Ronaldo left the field in tears after Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

In his first comments after the elimination, Ronaldo said Sunday that it was "time to take stock" without saying explicitly if he wants to carry on being available for Portugal.

"There's no point in reacting rashly," Ronaldo wrote. "I just want everybody to know that a lot has been said, a lot has been written, a lot has been speculated about, but my dedication to Portugal has never wavered for an instant.

"I've always been just one more (Portuguese) fighting for everyone's goal. I would never turn my back on my teammates or my country."

Ronaldo, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester United in acrimonious circumstances before the World Cup, said putting Portugal "on the highest level in the world "was his biggest dream.

"In my five appearances at World Cups over 16 years, always playing alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I have given my all," he wrote. "I left everything I had on the pitch. I'll never shrink from a battle and I have never given up on that dream. Unfortunately, that dream ended yesterday."

Ronaldo said he would "let everyone draw their own conclusions", adding: "There's not much else to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful as long as it lasted."

Missed opportunity

Reaching the quarterfinals was the minimum expected of Portugal considering the depth of talent in its squad. The team sailed through the group phase by winning its opening two games before coach Fernando Santos rotated most of his starting lineup for the final group-stage match against South Korea, which won 2-1 on a late goal. Portugal then thrashed Switzerland 6-1 in the last 16.Despite Morocco's strong defense and status as the surprise of the tournament, Portugal was still expected to win that quarterfinal. So, in that sense, it is another missed opportunity and probably an overall underperformance by Ronaldo and his team.

Who's out?

The world is waiting to see if the 37-year-old Ronaldo retires from international duty after scoring 118 goals — a record in men's soccer — and making 196 appearances in his 19 years with the national team. If Ronaldo does continue, it seems it will only be for Euro 2024, which will be played in Germany.

When the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada comes around, he will be 41 years old.

At 39, centerback Pepe is also likely to have played his final major tournament.

What's more in doubt is the future of Santos, who took charge of Portugal in 2014 after four years at the helm of Greece's national team. He has a contract through 2024 and repeatedly deflected any talk about leaving his post after the loss to Morocco.

"I will have a discussion with the (Portuguese soccer federation) president and when we go back to Portugal, we will deal with the issue of the contract," Santos said.

Who's next?

A future without Ronaldo might be an alarming proposition but there is fresh talent coming through. Up front, there's the 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick against Switzerland when standing in for Ronaldo in his first start for the national team. There's much excitement about the development of Antonio Silva, a 19-year-old centerback at Benfica who seems the natural replacement for Pepe — a player more than twice Silva's age. Joao Felix was one of the standout performers against Switzerland and, although he may not have quite lived up to expectations with Atletico Madrid yet, at 23 he still has time on his side, while fullbacks Diogo Dalot and Nuno Mendes are 23 and 20, respectively.

What's next?

With or without Ronaldo, Portugal is the favorite in a kind-looking qualifying group for Euro 2024. Portugal opens group play in March with a home match against Liechtenstein. The other teams in Group J are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Slovakia and Luxembourg. If Portugal reaches the tournament in Germany, expect it to be among the favorites — even without its most famous player.

Agencies Via Xinhua