Ronaldo retires from international football after 23 years

Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football, ending a 23-year Portugal career in which he became the men’s all-time leader in both appearances and goals.

The 41-year-old soccer star announced the decision on 5 November in a video message on social media. “To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team,” he said. “A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end.”

The numbers behind the career:

• 234 appearances, a men’s international record.
• 146 goals, also a men’s international record.
• A goal for Portugal in 23 consecutive calendar years, from 2004 to 2026.
• 14 goals at the European Championship, the most in the tournament’s history.
• 11 World Cup goals, a Portugal record, and the first man to score at six World Cups.

How did Ronaldo’s Portugal career begin?

Ronaldo made his debut on 20 August 2003 in a friendly against Kazakhstan, aged 18, replacing Luís Figo at half time in a 1-0 win. In his eighth cap, he scored his first goal for Portugal, a late header in a 2-1 defeat to Greece in the opening game of Euro 2004. He finished that tournament with two goals, two assists and a place in the team of the tournament, although Portugal lost the final to Greece.

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What did Ronaldo win with Portugal?

Portugal’s first major title came at Euro 2016, when they beat France 1-0 in Paris after extra time. Ronaldo, the captain, went off injured after 25 minutes of the final and watched from the touchline as Eder scored in the 109th minute.

He then captained Portugal to the first Nations League title in 2019, scoring a hat trick in the semifinal against Switzerland and finishing as top scorer. In 2025, at 40, he scored in the final as Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win a second Nations League. In between, two goals against the Republic of Ireland in 2021 took him to 111, past Ali Daei’s 109, and made him the men’s all time leading international scorer.

His sixth World Cup, in 2026, brought three more goals: two against Uzbekistan and a penalty against Croatia, his last for Portugal.

How did Ronaldo’s Portugal career end?

Portugal’s World Cup ended on 6 July with a 1-0 round of 16 loss to Spain, Mikel Merino scoring in stoppage time. Under new coach Jorge Jesus, Ronaldo then played what proved to be his final game for Portugal on 24 September, a 1-0 Nations League win over Wales at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. It was his 234th cap. João Félix scored the only goal in the 22nd minute, while Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside around the hour and left the pitch after 67 minutes.

The relationship with Jesus then broke down. Jesus left Ronaldo on the bench for the next match and said he did not plan to start him in the one after, and Ronaldo left the training camp. The Portuguese Football Federation suspended him for 30 days, and Jesus later said the door was open for his return.

The federation has thanked Ronaldo with “deep gratitude and immense admiration” and plans a tribute where fans can celebrate him. He will keep playing club football with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and has 985 career goals as he chases 1,000.