Cristiano Ronaldo avoids thinking about "my future and international retirement"

Veteran Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo affirmed that his focus is on the present moment, refusing to set a date for his international retirement, during a press conference held on Wednesday on the eve of the match against Wales in the UEFA Nations League.

The 41-year-old told reporters, who pressed him to reveal his intentions after he announced this summer that this season would "probably" be the last of his career, "I am too old to think about the future. For me, the present is what matters most."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner for the world's best player hinted that he is ready to leave the national team as soon as the coaching staff requests it, and that he will announce his departure before playing his final match wearing the captain's armband and the famous number 7 shirt for the Portuguese national team.

He also reaffirmed his goal of reaching 1,000 goals, having already scored 979 in all competitions.

The former star of Spain's Real Madrid and Italy's Juventus, currently playing for Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, said, "I have previously stated my desire to achieve this milestone, and I will, but it is not an obsession," explaining that he hopes to reach this record while playing for the Portuguese national team.

"Cristiano Ronaldo" described the arrival of new manager Jorge Jesus as "the beginning of a new era," stating that the 71-year-old coach, who worked with him last year at Al-Nassr and led the club to the league title, is "the ideal choice" to succeed Spain's Roberto Martinez.