Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From Portugal National Team After 23 Years
The 41-year-old forward, the top scorer in the history of men’s international football, said in a video message that it was time to hand back Portugal’s No. 7 shirt.
LISBON, Nov 5 – Cristiano Ronaldo is done with Portugal. The 41-year-old said on Thursday that he is retiring from the national team, and with that he closes one of the longest and most famous careers the international game has ever seen.
He announced the news in a long video posted on social media.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No 7 shirt,” Ronaldo said.
He said the shirt was never his alone. But he said he had been lucky enough to wear it for 23 years, to fight for it and to take it with him to stadiums all over the world. And in a note with the video, he told the fans that Portugal will always be a part of him.
He will give back the shirt after the November break for international games, the Guardian said.
It has not been a quiet goodbye, though. His decision came after he fell out with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus during the most recent international break, according to Sky Sports and the Associated Press.
So far, neither Ronaldo nor the Portuguese federation has said what the row was about. The numbers he leaves behind are huge.
He has scored 146 goals for Portugal. No man has scored more for his country. He has also played more games for his national team than any other man. The Guardian puts his total at 234 games,
He was just 18 when he made his debut for Portugal in 2003. In the years that followed, he became the face of football in his country and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.
He played in six World Cups, more than any other male player. In 2016, he led Portugal to the European Championship title, the country’s first major trophy.
He added two more titles afterward, winning the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
For some time, he had said that the 2026 World Cup, held this summer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, would be his last. He repeated that in late 2025.
Even so, he kept on going long after most players of his age had stopped. He was still the captain into his 40s. And he was still scoring.
All the while, he was playing for some of the biggest clubs in the game. He began his career at Sporting in Lisbon before moving on to Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
He won the Ballon d’Or, awarded to the world’s best player, five times, and also lifted the Champions League trophy five times.
He isn’t giving up the game just yet. He is still playing for his club, and he has not said when he will retire.
For Portugal, it marks the end of an era. For most of the past two decades, the national team was built around him. His rivalry with Argentina’s Lionel Messi shaped an entire generation of football fans and defined one of the sport’s greatest eras.
Now Portugal must find a way to succeed without him. It will not be starting from scratch, however, as the squad is filled with talent, with players representing many of Europe’s top clubs.
Fans and former teammates were quick to pay tribute to him on Thursday, celebrating his goals, records, and years of service to the national team. Many described him as the greatest player Portugal has ever produced, while others thanked him for the memories he created over more than two decades.
His final appearances for Portugal are expected to come during the November international window, giving supporters one last chance to see him in the country’s colors. The matches are likely to draw huge crowds and worldwide attention as fans prepare to say goodbye to a player who defined an era of Portuguese football.
