Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, bringing down the curtain on one of the most illustrious careers in the history of the game after 23 years, 234 appearances and a record 146 goals for Portugal.
Key Points
- The 41-year-old announced his decision on Thursday in a five-minute video on social media.
- Ronaldo said he would “hand back the number 7 shirt” after the November international break.
- He retires as the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances.
- He won Euro 2016 and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025, and played at six World Cups.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in the emotional video message. “Today, my journey on the pitch with the national team comes to an end. The number 7 shirt shall remain. The pride of having worn it will be…” He ended the message in Portuguese: “Portugal estará sempre em mim” — Portugal will always be in me.
Ronaldo’s international career began with his debut in August 2003. He went on to play at six World Cups and to lift three major international honours with Portugal: the 2016 European Championship and the UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. In July, he had admitted that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his last tournament. “Yes, it’s my last one. Let’s go and enjoy it,” he said at the time.
An acrimonious ending
The final chapter was far from smooth. Ronaldo clashed with head coach Jorge Jesus in the October international window after the coach opted not to use him in a Nations League match, prompting Ronaldo to walk out of the team camp. The Portuguese Football Federation opened disciplinary proceedings and handed him a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine on 19 October.
His final appearance with Portugal came on 24 September, in a 1-0 win over Wales in the Nations League. He was named in Portugal’s preliminary squad for next week’s Nations League matches, opening the door to an international return after the fallout — a door he has now closed himself. The federation said it would not “let this farewell take place without due tribute”.
The timing also invites comparison with his great rival: Lionel Messi finished his career with Argentina after a much-anticipated farewell match last month. Ronaldo, like Messi, will keep playing at club level and is expected to finish his club career at the end of this season with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he continues his pursuit of 1,000 official career goals.
What happens next
Portugal face Denmark in the Nations League in Braga on 14 November, and travel to Cardiff to face Wales three days later. The Portuguese Football Federation will announce its squad for those games on Friday — the first Portugal squad of the post-Ronaldo era.
For Portuguese football, the question now is who fills the void left by a player who scored in every major tournament he entered and carried the national team for a generation. The number 7 shirt, as Ronaldo himself said, shall remain. Finding someone worthy of it is the next chapter.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/11/5/cristiano-ronaldo-announces-retirement-from-international-football
- Associated Press via The Indian Express — https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/cristiano-ronaldo-international-retirement-portugal-10774623/
- The National — https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2026/11/05/cristiano-ronaldo-calls-time-on-portugal-career-and-retires-from-international-football/