Cristiano Ronaldo has described his acrimonious departure from Manchester United as the ‘closing of a chapter’ in his career.
The Portuguese forward made World Cup history in his country’s opening match of Qatar 2022 when he scored from the penalty spot in their 3-2 win.
The goal meant he has now scored in five World Cup tournaments – more than any other men’s player.
This latest achievement comes just days after Manchester United announced that they had parted ways with the player by mutual consent with ‘immediate effect’ in the wake of a controversial interview he gave to TalkTV host Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo criticised the club and manager Erik ten Hag in the interview, claiming he doesn’t respect the Dutchman.
The 37-year-old put all this behind him however as he lined up for his country, helping them to victory in their opening Group H match.
“This was a beautiful moment… my fifth World Cup,” Ronaldo said afterwards. “We won. we started with a very important win.
“We know the first match is crucial. But also a world record. The first player to score in five World Cups. That makes me proud.”
Speaking about his Old Trafford exit, Ronaldo was blunt in his response.
“The most important step is we won. It was a week that finished this chapter.
“This chapter is closed.
“We wanted to start well. We won, I could help my team. All the rest does not matter.”
Portugal face Uruguay in their second match on November 28, and go head to head with South Korea in their final Group H match on December 2.
