If it were up to him, Cristiano Ronaldo would have prefered playing only the important matches. The Portuguese megastar admitted that he gets a special vibe from playing big matches. He also claimed that such a motivation is missing when the game doesn't have any pressure associated with it.

Pundits believe that a player of Ronaldo's class will always want every match to be full of pressure. However, that cannot be the case and even the Portuguese powerhouse understands that.

In a recent interview, Ronaldo said, "I'll tell you, if it were up to me, I would only play some important games. Those of the national team and the Champions League. It's these kinds of games that emerge, those with a stake, a difficult atmosphere, a pressure. After, you have to be pro and perform well every day to honour your family and the club you represent and who pays you for it. So, always give the best."

According to Goal, the modern-day football hero also expressed his desire to play football for as long as he can. For him, age is nothing more than mere numbers. He thinks his performance is the perfect example of how age doesn't matter as long as the player himself loves to play with full-heart.

A few weeks ago, Ronaldo scored his 700th career goal. He doesn't seem like he's stopping anytime soon as he eyes 800 goals. Recently, Ronaldo's interview with France Football raised speculations about a high probability of him winning his sixth Ballon d'Or this year.

Ronaldo is known for shining on the field whenever his team requires him the most. The football fraternity always sees the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star finishing vital matches in style, especially when the pressure is mounting on his team.

In the past, in crucial matches for both club and country, there haven't been any such big occasions where Ronaldo's performance hasn't made a difference.

He scored four times in UCL Finals. One of those goals came for Manchester United and the other three times, he scored for Real Madrid. Even in the Champions League quarter-finals last season, Ronaldo's hat-trick ensured that Juventus fought back against Atletico Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals for the second time on the international stage as Portugal hammered Lithuania AFP / Petras Malukas