Agency :
Veteran defender Pepe expressed gratitude to teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on Sunday as Portugal’s squad returned to Lisbon following their World Cup elimination.
The comments came barely 24 hours after Portugal’s 1-0 quarterfinal defeat to Morocco in Doha, a match that could have marked the end of Ronaldo’s international career.
“He is our Portuguese flag bearer that reaches all parts of the world,” said Pepe, who broke his arm during Saturday’s game at Al-Thumama stadium but continued to play on.
“He gave his contribution when called upon. And I have to thank him and all my teammates who tried to do their best. They worked as hard as they could to be available to the coach – and when that is the case, everything is easier.”
Ronaldo endured a frustrating time in Qatar, scoring just once in five outings and starting the last two games – against Switzerland and Morocco – on the bench.
He was widely criticized for shouting obscenities toward the Portugal dugout after being substituted in the final group match against South Korea on December 2.
Portugal manager Fernando Santos later admitted that he was unhappy with Ronaldo’s reaction but denied there was any lingering tension with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo said on Sunday that he had always been dedicated to being a part of the Portuguese national team, but he was coy about his future in the national side.
“I just want you all to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for a moment,” Ronaldo said in a Facebook post.
“I was always one more person fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.”
Before the World Cup, he had refused to say whether the tournament in Qatar would be his last and said he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship.
His Facebook post on Sunday, however, ended on an ambiguous note.
“For now, there’s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted… Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions,” he wrote.