Ronaldo retires from Portugal after 23 years, 234 caps and a record 146 international goals

Cristiano Ronaldo announced Thursday that he is retiring from international soccer, ending a 23-year career with Portugal that produced records no man in the sport has matched — 234 appearances and 146 goals — but that closed not with a planned farewell but with a training-camp walkout and a five-minute video posted to social media.

To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team. 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. Today the time has come to pass it on to the future.— Cristiano Ronaldo

The 41-year-old's final appearance for Portugal turned out to be a 1-0 Nations League win over Wales on September 24. New head coach Jorge Jesus then kept him on the bench for the next match and made clear he had no plans to start him against Denmark either. Ronaldo left the training camp. The Portuguese federation subsequently suspended him for 30 days, though he remained eligible for the upcoming fixtures against Denmark and Wales. Jesus later said Ronaldo would be welcome back and that the decision was his to make — but on Thursday, Ronaldo made a different one.

The retirement comes roughly one month after longtime rival Lionel Messi played his final match for Argentina — a much-anticipated farewell occasion. Ronaldo's exit carried none of that ceremony. The Portuguese Football Federation said Thursday it 'refuses to let this farewell take place without due tribute' and intends to organize a separate tribute event.

Cristiano Ronaldo has raised Portugal's profile and inspired generations of young people who dream of following in his footsteps; for many of us, he is the greatest player of all time!— Portuguese Football Federation

Ronaldo's international career began in August 2003, before Euro 2004, when he was 18. Over the next 23 years he became the only male player to score at six different World Cups. His last World Cup came this summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where Portugal were eliminated by Spain in the round of 16. The peak of his international career came in 2016 when he captained Portugal to their first major trophy, the European Championship. He also helped the team win the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and again in 2025.

A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end. When I look back and think of everything I've experienced with the national team, I don't just see matches, goals, records or trophies. I see people. I see immigrants who, for 90 minutes, felt Portugal was a little bit closer.— Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo is not retiring from club football. He is expected to finish the current season with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he is chasing a milestone: he has scored 985 career goals and is closing in on 1,000.

It was not an easy decision because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart.— Cristiano Ronaldo

Goals come and go, trophies end up in museums, and records are eventually broken. But there is one thing that time can never erase: the place we hold in people's hearts. If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you hug someone, forget your worries, and feel nothing but pride in our country, then it was all worth it.— Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal's federation said it intends to organize a tribute 'in which the fans and the country can one more time applaud and celebrate a player who has given us so much.' The national team is set to play Denmark and Wales in the Nations League later this month — fixtures Ronaldo will now watch from the outside.

Why it matters — Ronaldo's retirement closes the international careers of both he and Messi within a month of each other, ending the era that defined men's soccer for two decades.

Sources differ on Whether Ronaldo apologized and appeared set to continue with Portugal before his retirement announcement: Ronaldo left camp, wrote an open letter apologizing to fans and teammates without mentioning Jesus; federation suspended him 30 days but he remained eligible (cbssports.com) vs Ronaldo had apologized and it appeared he would continue his career for the national team before Thursday's announcement (cnn.com) vs Jesus said Ronaldo would be welcome back and the decision to return was up to him (cbsnews.com)

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