The Lithuanian national football team learned about their future opponents in the 2020 European Championship qualifiers on December 18. Alongside Lithuania, fate brought together the Serbians, European champions Portugal, Ukrainians, and representatives from Luxembourg. Immediately, all the eyes of our country's supporters were fixed on the star of the Portuguese team, 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. Already, there were rumors about one of the world's most famous players, C. Ronaldo, possibly visiting our country. However, there was also fear that the footballer, who missed part of the 2018 national team battles, would continue to focus on club matters rather than the national team. Already in September, Lithuanian football fans should witness one of the best footballers on the planet - Lithuanians will duel with Ukraine at home on September 7, and three days later, European champions will arrive in Vilnius for the first time in history. "I am ready to return to the national team and play in the European qualifiers. I had an agreement with the national team staff that I would skip the second part of the 2018 year and pay more attention to the transition from Real Madrid to Juventus. I needed to think about the club rather than representing the Portuguese team," reassured C. Ronaldo, five-time best player on the planet. After not wearing the national team jersey at the World Football Championship in Russia, C. Ronaldo explained that the break from the national team was necessary for him. "I am now 33 years old, I had to move from one country to another, to a team with different work methods, different teammates and partners in mind. So, I and the coaches decided that I would not play for the national team until all club matters were settled. It was the best option," C. Ronaldo told Radio Record in an interview.
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