LISBON (The Thursday Times) — Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he is retiring from international football, ending a 23-year Portugal career in which he set men’s world records with 146 goals and 234 caps.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team,” the 41-year-old said in a long video on X. “The goals pass, the cups are in museums, the records end up being beaten.”
He made his debut in 2003, won Euro 2016 and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025, and played at 12 major tournaments: six World Cups and six European Championships. Portugal went out of this year’s World Cup in the round of 16, beaten by eventual champions Spain.
The decision follows a fall-out with new head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo stayed on the bench throughout a 2-1 win over Norway and left the national camp on the eve of the match against Denmark on October 1. His final game was a 1-0 win over Wales.
The Portuguese Football Federation said a fitting tribute would be paid to him in future. “Thank you for everything, CAPTAIN! This will always be your home!” it said. Ronaldo continues at Al Nassr, where he is chasing 1,000 career goals.
