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Cristiano Ronaldo quits international football
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Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a remarkable 23-year career with the national team.
The 41-year-old forward confirmed his decision in an emotional video posted on Instagram, declaring that the time had come to hand over Portugal's iconic number seven shirt to a new generation.
Ronaldo leaves international football having scored a record 146 goals in 234 appearances, establishing himself as one of the most decorated players in the history of the national team.
"To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team," Ronaldo said.
"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."
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner admitted that walking away from international football had been an emotional and difficult decision.
"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," he said.
"A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end."
Ronaldo made his senior international debut in August 2003 and went on to become the central figure in Portugal's rise as a major force in European football.
He represented his country at six European Championships, helping Portugal reach the final in 2004 before captaining the team to its first major international trophy at Euro 2016.
He also played a pivotal role in Portugal's UEFA Nations League triumphs in 2019 and 2025.
Despite his extraordinary individual achievements, the FIFA World Cup remained the one major international trophy that eluded him.
Portugal never progressed beyond the semi-finals of the tournament during Ronaldo's international career.
His final World Cup appearance came in 2026, when Portugal were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the round of 16.
Ronaldo started every match at the tournament, although his performances attracted criticism from sections of the media, with questions raised about his continued effectiveness at international level.
His retirement follows a turbulent period involving disagreements with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus over team selection and playing time.
Tensions reportedly escalated when Ronaldo was named among the substitutes for a match against Norway but was not introduced despite warming up during the second half.
The situation deteriorated further in September when Ronaldo left the national team camp after being informed that he would not start a Nations League encounter against Denmark.
At the time, Ronaldo publicly expressed frustration with the coach, accusing him of failing to honour previous assurances.
The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently fined the forward £215 and imposed a 30-day suspension, although the punishment did not prevent him from participating in any international fixtures.
Jesus had maintained that Ronaldo could still return to the national team, but the veteran striker has now decided to close that chapter of his career.
In his farewell message, Ronaldo did not directly address the dispute with the coach, instead reflecting on the highs and lows of representing his country.
"There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that still hurt to remember. I made mistakes; I suffered," he said.
He acknowledged that there had been occasions when he failed to deliver the success Portuguese supporters had hoped for, but insisted that his commitment to the national team had never wavered.
"There were also moments when I couldn't give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal."
The Portuguese Football Federation has pledged to organise a fitting tribute to honour Ronaldo's extraordinary contribution to the national team.
In a statement, the federation said it wanted supporters across the country to have an opportunity to celebrate the player who had represented Portugal for more than two decades.
"It is our firm and immense desire to organise, plan, participate and actively collaborate in what will always be a fitting tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo's immense career," the federation said.
Ronaldo's departure comes shortly after his long-time football rival, Argentina legend Lionel Messi, also brought his international career to an end.
Messi received an emotional farewell before approximately 85,000 supporters in Buenos Aires in October.
For Portugal, Ronaldo's retirement marks the end of an era defined by record-breaking performances, major international trophies and a level of global attention rarely experienced by the national team before his emergence.
For Ronaldo, however, his greatest achievement was not the goals, records or individual accolades, but the privilege of representing his country.
"I spent my life working to become the best player in the world. Today I realise my greatest victory was earning the honour of representing the best country in the world," he said.
His departure leaves Portugal facing the challenge of building a new generation without the player who has been the face of its national team for more than two decades.
The 41-year-old forward confirmed his decision in an emotional video posted on Instagram, declaring that the time had come to hand over Portugal's iconic number seven shirt to a new generation.
Ronaldo leaves international football having scored a record 146 goals in 234 appearances, establishing himself as one of the most decorated players in the history of the national team.
"To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team," Ronaldo said.
"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."
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner admitted that walking away from international football had been an emotional and difficult decision.
"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," he said.
"A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end."
Ronaldo made his senior international debut in August 2003 and went on to become the central figure in Portugal's rise as a major force in European football.
He represented his country at six European Championships, helping Portugal reach the final in 2004 before captaining the team to its first major international trophy at Euro 2016.
He also played a pivotal role in Portugal's UEFA Nations League triumphs in 2019 and 2025.
Despite his extraordinary individual achievements, the FIFA World Cup remained the one major international trophy that eluded him.
Portugal never progressed beyond the semi-finals of the tournament during Ronaldo's international career.
His final World Cup appearance came in 2026, when Portugal were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the round of 16.
Ronaldo started every match at the tournament, although his performances attracted criticism from sections of the media, with questions raised about his continued effectiveness at international level.
His retirement follows a turbulent period involving disagreements with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus over team selection and playing time.
Tensions reportedly escalated when Ronaldo was named among the substitutes for a match against Norway but was not introduced despite warming up during the second half.
The situation deteriorated further in September when Ronaldo left the national team camp after being informed that he would not start a Nations League encounter against Denmark.
At the time, Ronaldo publicly expressed frustration with the coach, accusing him of failing to honour previous assurances.
The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently fined the forward £215 and imposed a 30-day suspension, although the punishment did not prevent him from participating in any international fixtures.
Jesus had maintained that Ronaldo could still return to the national team, but the veteran striker has now decided to close that chapter of his career.
In his farewell message, Ronaldo did not directly address the dispute with the coach, instead reflecting on the highs and lows of representing his country.
"There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that still hurt to remember. I made mistakes; I suffered," he said.
He acknowledged that there had been occasions when he failed to deliver the success Portuguese supporters had hoped for, but insisted that his commitment to the national team had never wavered.
"There were also moments when I couldn't give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal."
The Portuguese Football Federation has pledged to organise a fitting tribute to honour Ronaldo's extraordinary contribution to the national team.
In a statement, the federation said it wanted supporters across the country to have an opportunity to celebrate the player who had represented Portugal for more than two decades.
"It is our firm and immense desire to organise, plan, participate and actively collaborate in what will always be a fitting tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo's immense career," the federation said.
Ronaldo's departure comes shortly after his long-time football rival, Argentina legend Lionel Messi, also brought his international career to an end.
Messi received an emotional farewell before approximately 85,000 supporters in Buenos Aires in October.
For Portugal, Ronaldo's retirement marks the end of an era defined by record-breaking performances, major international trophies and a level of global attention rarely experienced by the national team before his emergence.
For Ronaldo, however, his greatest achievement was not the goals, records or individual accolades, but the privilege of representing his country.
"I spent my life working to become the best player in the world. Today I realise my greatest victory was earning the honour of representing the best country in the world," he said.
His departure leaves Portugal facing the challenge of building a new generation without the player who has been the face of its national team for more than two decades.
Source - bbc
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