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Ronaldo announced himself on the international stage at Euro 2004 with his first Portugal goal before becoming the hero against England at the 2006 World Cup.
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The Portuguese captain produced two unforgettable hat-trick performances against Sweden in 2013 and Spain at the 2018 World Cup.
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Ronaldo finally ended Portugal’s long wait for a major international trophy at Euro 2016, playing a crucial role in the campaign before an injury forced him off in the final.
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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner cemented his status as international football’s greatest goalscorer by breaking Ali Daei’s record in 2021.
November 05, (THEWILL) – Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international duty on Thursday, bringing an end to his 23-year sojourn with the national team.
Beyond the incredible statistics, Ronaldo’s journey with Portugal was defined by spectacular goals, extraordinary comebacks, and historic achievements.
He captained Portugal to three major international trophies, including the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 and 2025 UEFA Nations League titles.
Here are seven magical moments that defined Ronaldo’s international career.
1. Announcing his his arrival with first international goal at Euro 2004
Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in a friendly match against Kazakhstan in a friendly match in 2003.
He scored his first international goal against Greece in Portugal’s opening match of the tournament at the age of 19-year-old.
Ronaldo rose above the Greek defence to head home a LuÃs Figo cross in stoppage time, but the goal could not stop Portugal from a 2-1 defeat.
Although Portugal failed to win the trophy, Euro 2004 marked the arrival of a player who would go on to become the greatest goalscorer in the country’s history.
The goal announced Ronaldo as one of the youngest players to watch out for.
Watch Ronaldo’s first goal for Portugal:
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2. Decisive Penalty Against England At 2006 World Cup
Ronaldo produced another defining moment at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany when Portugal faced England in the quarter-finals.
The encounter finished goalless after 120 minutes, with Portugal eventually securing a 3-1 victory in the penalty shootout.
Ronaldo stepped forward to take Portugal’s decisive penalty and confidently sent his effort into the top-right corner.
The encounter finished goalless after 120 minutes, with Portugal eventually securing a 3-1 victory in the penalty shootout.
The penalty sent Portugal into the semi-finals, where they eventually finished fourth after losing to France and Germany.
Watch Ronaldo’s match-winning penalty against England:
3. The unforgettable hat-trick against Sweden in 2013.
One of the most remarkable individual performances of Ronaldo’s international career came during Portugal’s 2014 World Cup qualification play-off against Sweden.
In a two-legged playoff clash, Portugal won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon, with Ronaldo scoring the only goal of the encounter.
Ronaldo turned the tie around in the second leg with a phenomenal hat-trick.
He scored a stunning hat-trick to inspire Portugal to a 3-2 victory, securing a 4-2 aggregate triumph and qualification for the 2014 World Cup.
After opening the scoring, Ronaldo struck twice in quick succession in the second half to silence the home supporters.
The performance endeared Ronaldo to the Portuguese football fans, while also leading his country to the 2014 World Cup.
Watch Ronaldo’s match-winning Hat-trick against Sweden:
4. Leading Portugal To Euro 2016 Glory
Cristiano Ronaldo ended his long wait to win a trophy for Portugal when he led the team to the 2016 European Championship in France.
Portugal finished third in Group F after drawing all three matches against Iceland, Austria and Hungary.
The Selecao bounced back from the poor start to beat Croatia, Poland and Wales to reach the final.
Ronaldo played a key role in the 2-0 win over Wales in the semi-final.
He scored he opening goal with a powerful header before his effort led to Nani’s second goal in a 2-0 victory.
Ronaldo suffered a knee injury following a challenge from Dimitri Payet and was forced off in the 25th minute in the final.
Despite leaving the pitch in tears, he returned to the touchline to encourage his teammates, taking on an unofficial coaching role as Portugal battled through extra time.
Éder eventually scored the winning goal in the 109th minute to hand Portugal a historic 1-0 victory.
It was Portugal’s first-ever European Championship title and Ronaldo’s first major international trophy.
The trophy sealed Ronaldo’s legacy in the Portuguese national team history.
Ronaldo scored three goals and three assists in seven appearances in the tournament.
Watch Ronaldo’s celebration against France in the final:
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5. Ronaldo’s Stunning Hat-trick Against Spain At 2018 World Cup
Ronaldo delivered one of the greatest individual performances in World Cup history, when Portugal faced Spain in their opening Group B fixture at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the fourth minute before doubling Portugal’s advantage shortly before half-time with a powerful shot that goalkeeper David de Gea failed to stop.
Diego Costa scored twice for Spain, while Nacho Fernández added another goal to put the Spaniards ahead.
With Portugal trailing 3-2 and time running out, Ronaldo scored a sublime free-kick to rescue a point for his country.
He curled a magnificent free-kick over the Spanish defensive wall and beyond the reach of goalkeeper De Gea to complete his hat-trick.
The treble made Ronaldo the oldest player at the time to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, aged 33 years and 130 days.
It was also his first World Cup hat-trick and one of the most memorable performances of his international career.
Watch Ronaldo’s stunning hat-trick against Spain at the 2014 World Cup:
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6. Breaking Ali Daei’s international goalscoring record in 2021
Another unforgettable moment for Ronaldo was in 2021, when he became the highest goalscorer in men’s international football history.
Ronaldo scored a brace against the Republic of Ireland in a 2022 World Cup qualifier to overtake Ali Daei’s longstanding record of 109 goals.
Ireland took the lead in the first half through John Egan, Ronaldo earlier missed from the penalty spot before he bounced back with a brace to lead Portugal to a stunning win.
He scored two late headers, including a dramatic 90th-minute winner, to inspire Portugal to a 2-1 victory.
The goals took his tally to 111, he eventually extended the record to 146 goals before retiring from international football.
Watch Ronaldo break Ali Daei’s international goalscoring record against Ireland:
7. 2019, 2025 Nations League Triumph
Ronaldo led Portugal to the 2019 UEFA Nations League trophy.
He scored a sensational hat-trick in the semi-final against Switzerland before helping Portugal overcome the Netherlands in the final. It was his seventh international hat-trick and earned him the man-of-the-match award.
Portugal became the first-ever winners of the competition, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto.
Ronaldo won the top scorer in the tournament with three goals.
He also played a major role in leading Portugal to another Nations League triumph in 2025.
He scored eight goals to finish as the top scorer to lead Portugal to the trophy.
