Cristiano Ronaldo Announces Retirement From Portugal Team

Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday. He shared the news through a video on his Instagram account.

Ronaldo, 41, leaves Portugal as the all-time record holder for both appearances and goals. He played 234 matches and scored 146 goals for the national team. His international career began in 2003 and ran for 23 years.

Why He Decided to Retire Now

The decision follows weeks of tension with Portugal’s new coach, Jorge Jesus. Last month, Ronaldo walked out of the team’s training camp after Jesus did not use him in a Nations League match. He had warmed up for a long time during the Norway game but never came on.

Jesus had said earlier that the door remained open for Ronaldo, and that the choice to end his international career should be his alone. Portugal went on to win that international window anyway, beating Denmark and Norway to finish top of their group with 12 points from four matches.

Jesus only took charge of Portugal this summer. He signed a four-year deal that runs through the 2030 World Cup, replacing Roberto Martinez.

What Ronaldo Said

In his farewell video, Ronaldo said: “To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team.”

He added: “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.”

He is expected to formally hand back the number 7 shirt after the November international break.

He Had Thought About This Before

Ronaldo had considered retiring from international football after Portugal lost to Spain in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. Reports say he had even prepared a farewell letter at that time but was talked out of it by Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.

He chose to continue while chasing 1,000 career goals across club and country. He had reached 979 goals as of September.

What Comes Next

This retirement covers only international football. Ronaldo continues to play his club football for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Portugal’s next matches are later this month.