he room was jam-packed with reporters, waiting for the press conference to begin in early September. It was the first time Portugal were back in camp after T Euro 2024 - everyone was eager to hear what Cristiano Ronaldo had to say after a tournament in which he actually didn't say (or do) much at all.
Ronaldo departed Germany as one of the few team captains, maybe the only team captain, not to have faced the media a single time. No one knew what was coming. What was next? Was his international career about to conclude? When Ronaldo eventually entered the room, everything went quiet. He didn't take a seat straight away, checking his phone for a couple of seconds, removing a sweatshirt from his waist, then moving a water bottle aside. Finally, he took some questions. As soon as a local journalist mentioned "no one can forget what you did over the past 20 years", Ronaldo rushed to correct him. "And continue to do," he said, refusing to be treated as part of the past already.
Although a poll from CNN Portugal/ Mais Futebol found that 74 per cent of Portuguese fans wanted him out of the national team, it became crystal clear that Ronaldo wasn't going anywhere.
Last summer, he'd grown ever more frustrated at not being able to find the net even once, bidding to become the first man to score at six consecutive Euros. He cried when Jan Oblak repelled his extra-time spot-kick against Slovenia in the last 16, before Portugal's journey ended with a loss to France on penalties.
Increasingly, he resembled a post-slip Steven Gerrard against Chelsea in 2014, shooting from improbable angles and distances to justify his presence.
Despite all of that, he'd opted to stick around, defying time and logic once again. This month, the veteran turns 40, determined to redefine greatness and prove that age is just a number.
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