What's next for Cristiano Ronaldo after World Cup 2022 dream is shattered by Morocco?

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo's dream of winning the FIFA World Cup was shattered by Morocco on December 10 after his Portugal side suffered a 1-0 defeat. With the Portugal captain set to turn 38 in February, it seems unlikely that he would compete in another World Cup. With that in mind, here is a look at what's next for Cristiano Ronaldo.

What's next for Cristiano Ronaldo after FIFA World Cup exit?

While it seems unlikely that Cristiano Ronaldo would compete at another FIFA World Cup, the 37-year-old did indicate before the tournament began in Qatar that his journey with the national team was not over yet and that he aims to compete at the Euros in 2024. His comments came at a gala hosted by the Portuguese football federation in September after he became the top men's international goal scorer.

After receiving the award, Ronaldo said, "I am proud to receive an award of this magnitude. I never thought that one day I could achieve it. I thank everyone who was important in my career. It has been a long road, but I would like to say that my road is not over yet. [You're going to have to] take a little more load from Cris [Ronaldo]."

Speaking of how long he hopes to continue playing for Portugal, Ronaldo added, "I hope to be a part of the Federation for a few more years. I still feel motivated; my ambition is high. I'm in a team with young people. I want to be part of this World Cup and the European too; I'm going to assume that right away."

Cristiano Ronaldo put out emotional post after World Cup exit

A day after Portugal exited the FIFA World Cup following a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the quarter-finals, Cristiano Ronaldo took to his Instagram handle and put out an emotional post. In his post, he explained how his dream may have ended but his desire to continue performing for the country at the highest level persists. A snippet of his post reads,

"Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career. Fortunately, I won many titles with Portugal, but putting our country's name on the highest foot in the World was my biggest dream."