An array of forgetful episodes characterized Cristiano Ronaldo‘s last UEFA Euro tournament. From going goalless to missing a penalty and prematurely exiting the competition in the quarter-finals, Ronaldo got a Euro ending he never deserved. Adding insult to injury, the 5x Ballon d’Or winner shockingly became a laughingstock since his penalty miss against Slovenia, with even the BBC branding him ‘Misstiano Penaldo.’ Besides, dime a dozen analysts and fans rigidly pointed out that Roberto Martinez should have benched Ronaldo in Portugal games, where he failed to make an impact.

Anyhow, even while the world is standing against the Portuguese skipper, his former teammate Rio Ferdinand has got his back, like always. Ferdinand boldly proclaimed that the 39-year-old will always inspire the coming generations.

Rio Ferdinand took to X with a snippet of him interviewing former Portugal star Jose Fonte, who spoke at length about Cristiano Ronaldo’s ace mentality. “He[Ronaldo] wants to win more than anything. He wants to score goals more than anything. And this drive that he has, and this mentality, that’s what separates him from the rest,” said Fonte. “He is an example for any young kid that wants to be successful at anything,” Fonte added. Hearing Fonte’s words, Ferdinand wrote, “I don’t wanna be seeing any Cristiano memes on my timeline…”The Manchester United legend added, “Yes Portugal went out but this guy’s desire to win, score and mentality will always be one for kids to look at for generations!”

Latest reports from Portugal prove that Cristiano Ronaldo’s zeal has not faded a bit even after the disheartening UEFA Euro exit. At age 39, with a resume as good as Ronaldo’s most players would mull retiring from international duty. But not the former Manchester United and Real Madrid ace.

Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t just done yet, as the 2026 World Cup might be his last dance

After exiting the Euros, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez confirmed that both Cristiano Ronaldo and the 41-year-old Pepe have made no individual calls to retire from the national team. Meanwhile, the Portuguese publication Relevo said that Ronaldo is lacing up for the US-hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup, aiming to become the first player in the competition’s history to score a goal in six different editions. If this is not a winner’s mindset, then we don’t know what else is.

However, it remains dubious if the Al Nassr star’s dream would materialize, considering how he struggled to score in the 2024 Euro. One notable attacking contribution came from the 39-year-old when he set up Bruno Fernandes for a finish in Portugal’s second group game against Turkiye. With that assist, CR7 became the Euro’s all-time assist leader. Indeed, a minor win for the 5x UCL winner in an otherwise abysmal campaign.