Mourinho says Ronaldo still has ambitions after Portugal retirement

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho says Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to end his Portugal career does not signal the end of the forward’s playing days.

Ronaldo confirmed on Thursday that he had played his final match for his country, closing an international career that brought him 234 appearances and a world-record 146 goals.

But Mourinho, who worked with Ronaldo for three years at Real Madrid, believes the five-time Ballon d’Or winner still has more to achieve in football.

“It’s not a retirement; his career hasn’t ended. Anyone who knows him knows he still has goals for his career,” Mourinho said before Real Madrid’s match against Valencia.

Mourinho, who has also managed Chelsea and Manchester United, said he was unhappy with the way Ronaldo’s international farewell had unfolded.

“The only thing I would hope for is that when the day finally comes for him to retire as a footballer, it happens differently than it did yesterday,” he added.

Ronaldo’s departure from the Portugal squad followed a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus in September, after he was left out of a Nations League match.

The 41-year-old then left the national team camp and was given a 30-day suspension. That brought a difficult conclusion to an international career which included Portugal’s victory at Euro 2016.

Although Ronaldo has now ended his involvement with Portugal, he has no immediate plans to stop playing at club level.

He remains under contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr until June 2027, and Mourinho believes his former player continues to have ambitions to fulfil in football.