Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, ending a 23-year Portugal career with 234 caps, a record 146 goals and three major trophies.
The 41-year-old confirmed the decision in a five-minute video posted on his social media accounts, saying the time had come to hand back the No 7 shirt he first wore in August 2003.
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Addressing the Portuguese people, he said:
“Today I finish my walk on the pitch with the national team. I leave with my head held high, with pride in the path I took, and with the awareness that I gave everything I had for Portugal.”
Ronaldo thanked his teammates, coaches, family and Portuguese supporters around the world, then turned to what would remain once the numbers were gone:
“The goals pass, the cups are in museums, the records end up being beaten. But there is something that time can never erase, the place we occupy in people’s hearts.”
He ended his statement by saying:
“Portugal will always be in me. Forever.”
Notably, he retires as the most capped men’s international player and the leading scorer in men’s international football.
His final appearance came in the 1-0 Nations League win over Wales in September. He was left on the bench for the win over Norway, and the Portuguese Football Federation opened disciplinary proceedings and ordered a provisional suspension after he left the camp before the match against Denmark.
Portugal, coached by Jorge Jesus, finish their Nations League group stage with games against Denmark in Braga on 14 November and away to Wales in Cardiff three days later. Jesus had said the door remained open for Ronaldo while the disciplinary case ran its course.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal legacy may remain unparalleled for a long time
Cristiano Ronaldo made his Portugal debut as an 18-year-old in August 2003, and the numbers are unlikely to be matched soon. He scored 146 goals in 234 appearances, more than any other man in international football.
Portugal lost the Euro 2004 final to Greece on home soil, and he was 31 when he captained them to their first major title, beating France 1-0 in the Euro 2016 final in Paris. Nations League wins followed in 2019 and 2025, the second sealed on penalties against Spain.
Only the World Cup eluded him. Cristiano Ronaldo reached the semifinals in 2006 and scored at six World Cups, but his sixth and last ended with a 1-0 round-of-16 defeat to Spain in July.
Edited by Nived Zenith
