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Cristiano Ronaldo has officially announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to an illustrious 23-year career with Portugal, during which he scored 146 goals in 234 appearances and established himself as the country’s greatest-ever player.
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Ronaldo’s international retirement comes weeks after his public fallout with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, which saw him walk out of the national team’s camp over a disagreement about his starting role, accuse the manager of breaking promises and subsequently receive a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine from the Portuguese Football Federation.
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The 41-year-old forward leaves the Portugal national team as a legendary figure, having captained his country to the 2016 European Championship title and two UEFA Nations League triumphs in 2019 and 2025, while becoming the first footballer to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.
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In an emotional farewell message, Ronaldo described his retirement as a difficult decision, thanked his teammates, coaches, family and supporters for their unwavering belief in him, and expressed pride in wearing Portugal’s number seven shirt for 23 years as he officially handed over the responsibility to the next generation.
November 5, (THEWILL) – Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to his 23-year journey in the national team.
Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal as an 18-year-old teenager against Kazakhstan in a friendly match in August 2023.
Ronaldo has endured a difficult time with the national team in the last few weeks after he clashed with the team’s coach, Jorge Jesus, in October.
He walked out of the team’s camp last month after being told he would not start the Nations League match against Denmark.
He later released a lengthy statement explaining his decision, accusing Jesus of breaking his promises and describing their disagreement as an “absolute breach of trust”.
According to Ronaldo, the Portugal manager had initially assured him that he would feature against Norway before changing the arrangement.
He also claimed that Jesus failed to honour an agreement concerning how the situation would be explained publicly, describing it as the second time the manager had broken his word to him.
Despite his criticism of the coach, Ronaldo accepted responsibility for leaving the camp and apologised to his teammates and Portuguese supporters.
He also insisted that he was not retiring from international football at the time, promising to remain available for selection whenever he was physically fit and playing regularly for his club.
However, the Portuguese Football Federation subsequently handed him a 30-day suspension and fined him €255 for his conduct during the international camp.
Ronaldo has now decided to bring an end to his international career, a few weeks after the disagreement with Jorge Jesus.
The Al-Nassr forward made the announcement on Thursday in a video message shared across his social media platforms, describing the decision as a tough one.
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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.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team.
“I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and 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.
“A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to and end.
Ronaldo thanked his teammates, coaches, family and supporters around the world, adding: “Thank you for these 23 years. Thank you for having believed in me. Portugal will always be in me. Forever.”
Ronaldo scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal, breaking numerous records for his country.
He also led his country to the 2016 European Championship trophy, two UEFA Nations League trophies in 2019 and 2025.
He became the first player to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup, having found the net at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 tournaments.
THEWILL recalls that Lionel Messi announced his retirement in August and played his testimonial match against the Benin Republic in October.
The two greatest players of their generation have now bowed out of international football.
