*Cristiano Ronaldo is done with international soccer. The 41-year-old announced Thursday, Nov. 5, that he is retiring from Portugal’s national team after 23 years as its biggest star.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team,” he said in an Instagram video message, NBC News reports.
The tension with coach Jorge Jesus added another twist to Ronaldo’s final days with Portugal. After appearing in the Sept. 24 win over Wales, Ronaldo was left out of the lineup for the next match. Jesus indicated he would remain on the bench for the following game, prompting Ronaldo to leave the team’s training camp. The coach later made clear that Ronaldo could return whenever he wanted.
Ronaldo said the call didn’t come easily. “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.
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His international retirement will take effect after the November break, but he isn’t leaving soccer altogether. Ronaldo remains with Saudi club Al-Nassr and is expected to retire from club soccer after this season.
Portugal’s soccer federation expressed “deep gratitude and immense admiration” and said it will hold an event where fans can honor him. It added that for many of them, he is “the greatest player of all time!”
His national team numbers stand alone. His 146 goals and 234 appearances both top all men, and he was the first to hit 200 caps. No man had scored in six World Cups before him. He also holds the Euro marks for games played (30) and goals (14).
Portugal’s trophy case was empty when Ronaldo first pulled on the jersey in 2003. He helped deliver the country’s first major crown at Euro 2016, followed by Nations League wins in 2019 and 2025. Portugal never missed a World Cup or Euro with him on the roster.
“I wanted to win. I wanted to be better. I wanted to make history,” Ronaldo said.
He also admitted to falling short at times. “I made mistakes. I suffered. There were also moments when I couldn’t give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.”
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