Ronaldo: 'I Thought About Retiring After the World Cup'
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Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he thought about retiring after the World Cup. Retiring means ending his professional playing career.
The 40-year-old captain also addressed criticism from people who, he believes, want him to leave the national team. 'There are people who want to push me out,' he said. 'They will not succeed.'
Ronaldo has been the subject of debate about whether he should still be playing at the highest level. Despite this, he remains a key figure for the Portuguese national side.
His comments came ahead of Portugal's upcoming match against Wales. Fans across many countries will be able to watch the game live on TV and through streaming services, though exact broadcast details vary by country.
Ronaldo is widely considered one of the greatest footballers in history, having won numerous trophies and individual awards throughout his career. He remains Portugal's most experienced and recognisable player.
It is not yet clear when Ronaldo will actually retire, but his recent comments suggest he is still determined to continue despite the pressure and speculation surrounding his future.
Vocabulary10 words
- retiring
- stopping doing a job permanently
- captain
- the leader of a sports team
- push out
- force someone to leave a position
- streaming
- watching video content over the internet
- broadcast
- to show something on TV or online
- trophies
- prizes given for winning competitions
- speculation
- guessing about something without full facts
- criticism
- comments saying something is not good
- highest level
- the top standard of a sport
- figure
- an important person in a group
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Retiring from football 2. They will not succeed 3. Wales
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he thought about _____ after the World Cup.
Retiring means ending his professional playing _____.
The 40-year-old _____ also addressed criticism from people who, he believes, want him to leave the national team.
'There are people who want to push me _____,' he said.
He said they will not _____.
Ronaldo has been the subject of _____ about whether he should still be playing.
His comments came ahead of Portugal's upcoming match against _____.
Fans will be able to watch the game live on TV and through _____ services.
Ronaldo is widely considered one of the _____ footballers in history.
It is not yet clear when Ronaldo will actually _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think some people want Ronaldo to retire?
- Do you think athletes should decide themselves when to retire?
- How do you usually watch important sports matches - TV or streaming?
- What makes a football player one of the greatest of all time?
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