Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he considered retiring from international duty after the World Cup but stressed he will ‘always be available’ to help the Portuguese national team.Ronaldo, 41, had refused to confirm whether he would continue representing Portugal after his fifth and final World Cup in the summer, where the national team suffered a limp 1-0 defeat in the last-16 to eventual champions Spain.Despite the expectation that Ronaldo would retire from international football, the forward was named in new manager Jorge Jesus’s first 25-man squad for their upcoming Nations League matches against Wales, Denmark and Norway.Speaking ahead of their opening match with Wales, Ronaldo admitted he nearly called time on his career with the national team.’Yes, I’m always thinking about my decisions, I think about everything. You see me here, so I decided to continue,’ Ronaldo said at a press conference.’I still believe that I’m able to help the national team to reach what they want. I think I can give the national team my support, not only through the goals, but also outside of football. Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he considered retiring from international football this summer Ronaldo, 41, had been non-committal over his future with Portugal after their World Cup exit’There is a new young generation, but for me the basic point is to be able on the pitch to score the goals and to help the team win games.’Whenever they say they don’t want me in the national team, I will be the first one to go. When I think I am not adding anything to the team, or that I create an atmosphere, I will be the first to go. I will take my suitcase and leave. ‘The Portuguese count on me, that’s why I’m still here, just look at the numbers, I’m sure you can make some calculations, I’m still doing well. ‘The day they don’t count on me, no problem, I will leave. I will always be the No 1 fan of this federation.’Ronaldo insisted he is only focused on the ‘present moment’ after being asked whether he would be continuing until next summer – when the Nations League finals will take place – or until the 2028 European Championships.He acknowledged there are critics that ‘try to kill me’ but said he is motivated by people who still want to keep seeing him play.’I cannot be 100 per cent honest, sometimes I have to be politically correct,’ Ronaldo said.’I do understand that some TV channels like to criticise me, they’ve tried to kill me – with a shotgun – but I can still move away from it. Ronaldo acknowledged reaching 1,000 career goals was a target but said it is not an obsession’I am used to it, I have been doing this for more than 20 years, I’m quite used to it. What I can control, I will. What I can’t, I won’t.’The Al-Nassr forward, who has scored 146 goals in 233 games for Portugal, was questioned about his desire to reach the 1,000 career goal mark.Ronaldo, who is 21 goals short of the staggering milestone, declared that while it was a target he was not obsessed by it.’It would be the cherry on the top of the cake to score my 1,000th goal with the national team. It would be the culmination of a beautiful story. ‘I said I wanted to reach that target and I will reach that target. But I don’t have an obsession. If you are obsessed with something, you won’t get it.’Jesus confirmed Ronaldo will start against Wales on Thursday, with the new boss describing the veteran forward as ‘a symbol of Portugal’.