Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, bringing his 23-year career with Portugal to an end.
The 41-year-old forward leaves as the highest goalscorer in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances for his country.
Ronaldo’s biggest achievement with Portugal was winning the 2016 European Championship. He also helped the national team secure the 2018/19 and 2024/25 UEFA Nations League titles.
In his retirement statement, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner reflected on his journey and the decision to hand over his famous number seven shirt.
“The day has come back for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone. But for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world.
“Today, the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision. Because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart.”
His departure follows a reported disagreement with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus during the October international break. The dispute arose after Jesus refused to bring Ronaldo on during Portugal’s Nations League match against Norway. Ronaldo subsequently left the national team camp, claiming the coach had broken his promise to give him playing time.
Despite the fallout, Ronaldo was named in Portugal’s preliminary squad for the upcoming Nations League matches. The Portuguese Football Federation had also imposed a 30-day suspension after he left the camp, but backdated the punishment, making him eligible to return.
Ronaldo apologised to supporters earlier in October and said he would accept any punishment.
