Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From Portugal After 23 Years, 234 Caps and a Record 146 Goals

The No. 7 shirt is going back on the hanger. Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday, Nov. 5, that he is retiring from international football, closing a 23-year run with Portugal that produced a European Championship, two Nations League titles and the men’s records for international appearances and goals.

Editorial illustration of a folded red football jersey with a gold number 7 and a green captain's armband on a bench in a stadium tunnel at sunset — Illustration only. This artwork does not depict any real person.

The 41-year-old forward made the announcement in a roughly five-minute video posted to social media, and within hours his name, along with “Portugal,” was among the top trending topics on X in the United States. He will keep playing club football with Saudi side Al-Nassr.

The farewell message

Ronaldo framed the decision as handing the shirt back to the fans rather than walking away from them. According to BBC Sport, he said the day had come “to hand back the number seven shirt” of the national team, adding that he “never felt it belonged to me alone.”

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, as quoted by BBC Sport

He described a journey that began in August 2003 and “changed my life forever,” and closed his post on X with a short line in Portuguese: “Portugal estará sempre em mim,” or “Portugal will always be in me.”

The numbers he leaves behind

Ronaldo debuted for Portugal as an 18-year-old in 2003 and finishes with 146 goals in 234 appearances, both records in the men’s international game, according to BBC Sport and ESPN. The Associated Press notes his career spanned six World Cups, and in June 2026 he became the first man to score at six different World Cups, netting twice in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan.

The trophy haul is just as central to his legacy. He captained Portugal to the country’s first major title at Euro 2016 and was part of the squads that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025, Sporting News reports. At this summer’s World Cup, he started every match before Portugal were knocked out in the round of 16 by Spain, the eventual champions, according to the BBC.

A rocky final chapter

The announcement did not come out of nowhere. BBC Sport and ESPN report that Ronaldo fell out with new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus during the September international window after being left on the bench for a 2-1 Nations League win over Norway, the first time he had been an unused substitute in a competitive Portugal match since 2008.

When Jesus told him he would not start the next match against Denmark, Ronaldo left the training camp and issued a statement saying he was not retiring and accusing the coach of going back on his word, according to the BBC. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) fined him and handed him a 30-day suspension, and Jesus said at the time that the door remained open for a return. Thursday’s announcement came shortly after that suspension ended.

How the football world is reacting

Tributes started rolling in almost immediately, with fans sharing clips of his Euro 2016 celebrations and his long list of international milestones. The Portuguese federation said it would not “let this farewell take place without due tribute” and pledged to organize a fitting send-off where supporters can “applaud and celebrate” his career, according to BBC Sport.

Online, the news also reignited the long-running Ronaldo-versus-Messi debate, with fans trading stats on goals, trophies and longevity. Whatever side people land on, there was broad agreement that one of the defining international careers of the modern era had just ended.

What’s next

Portugal are set to name their squad on Friday for this month’s Nations League matches against Denmark at home and Wales away, according to the BBC, and it will be the first squad of the post-Ronaldo era. Details of the federation’s planned tribute have not been announced yet.

For Ronaldo himself, the focus now shifts entirely to club football with Al-Nassr. He has not said how much longer he plans to keep playing, but Thursday’s message made clear that his days in the red-and-green shirt are over.

Sources

This is an original summary written by Daily Content News based on the reporting linked above. The illustration is original artwork and does not depict any real person.