Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of playing a farewell game for Portugal, according to a report from the Lisbon-based outlet Observador, even though the Portuguese Football Federation has said he will not leave without a tribute.
Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed his international retirement on Thursday (November 5) in a video posted to his social media accounts, closing a Portugal career that began in August 2003 and ended with 234 caps and 146 goals, the men’s records for both.
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According to Observador, head coach Jorge Jesus intended to name the Al-Nassr forward in Friday’s squad for the Nations League games against Denmark and Wales. A phone call between the coach and his captain, with federation president Pedro Proença acting as intermediary, was arranged for Thursday and never happened. The report states that the 41-year-old does not want to speak to Jesus and told Proença he was not ready to return.
The timing caught him out. Cristiano Ronaldo was serving a one-month ban for leaving the October camp and expected any recall decision to wait until March. It expired on October 30.
In the video, he said (translated from Portuguese):
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team. Today the time has come to pass it on to the future. It wasn’t an easy decision, because some decisions aren’t made with the mind alone: they are also made with the heart.”
The 67 minutes he played in the 1-0 win over Wales in the UEFA Nations League are set to remain his last in a Portugal shirt.
The Portugal Federation’s statement after Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement
The federation responded within hours, publishing a statement that thanked “the eternal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo” and insisted the farewell would not pass without recognition.
“It is with a feeling of profound gratitude and immense admiration that the Portuguese Football Federation publicly praises and thanks Cristiano Ronaldo for his absolutely extraordinary career serving our country.”
It added:
“The Portuguese Football Federation refuses to let this farewell take place without due tribute.”
Proença, the federation president, wrote on social media that the forward would be remembered as “more than a player. Man, athlete, reference, hero, leader. Our captain” (translated from Portuguese).
No date, venue, or opponent has been announced for any celebration. It signed off with a rallying cry: “Let’s go for goal 1,000.”
Edited by Vignesh Raja
