It seems that the next World Cup, taking place in Qatar, will be without two of the brightest football stars of the last decade - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Ironically, both players ended their journey in the World Cup on the same day - France eliminated Argentina, and Uruguay dealt with Portugal.
33-year-old C. Ronaldo had previously mentioned that he does not plan to play for the national team past the age of 34. After the match, the forward talked about the bright future of the Portuguese national team - with or without him.
"I don't think now is the best time to talk about my future. I am certain of one thing - Portugal will continue to compete with the best teams in the world. We have young and ambitious players in the team who will make this country proud," - mysteriously stated C. Ronaldo.
The footballer did not feel crushed after the match and bid farewell with words of gratitude to Russia: "The organization of the championship left a great impression on me. Everything went smoothly during the tournament, without any problems with security. I am truly satisfied."
It is likely that L. Messi will also consider stepping down from the national team after a series of failures in the World Cup, already marked by various scandals within the national team.
It is said that even L. Messi himself is not thinking of staying with the national team past the end of the 2018 World Cup.
In this World Cup, C. Ronaldo scored four goals, while L. Messi scored one.
Considerations about the future of the footballers:
