Cristiano Ronaldo announces international retirement after 234 caps and 146 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo has ended his international career after 23 years in a Portugal shirt. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner leaves the Seleção with 234 caps, 146 goals and three major trophies.

A historic chapter in world football has come to an end. Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday, November 5, 2026, that he will no longer represent Portugal. The 41-year-old forward confirmed his international retirement in a video published on his social media accounts.

The famous number seven ends his Portugal journey with a record tally of 234 appearances and 146 goals. Since making his debut in August 2003, he has spanned more than two decades, worn the captain’s armband and embodied several generations of the Seleção.

Twenty-three years and three trophies with Portugal

Ronaldo leaves the national team having won Euro 2016, the first major title in Portugal’s history, followed by the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. His 234 caps and 146 goals are records in men’s international football.

The announcement comes several weeks after he left a Portugal camp early following a disagreement with the head coach. After a period of reflection, the captain chose to pass the number seven shirt on to the future and bring this chapter to a definitive close.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s full statement

“To you, the Portuguese people, the day has come to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team, the team that belongs to all of us. I never considered it mine alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums around the world. 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 head alone; they are also made with the heart. A journey that began in August 2003 is coming to an end, a journey that changed my life forever. When I look back and think about everything I experienced with the national team, I do not see only matches, goals, records or trophies. I see people. I see emigrants who, for 90 minutes, felt a little closer to Portugal. I see millions of Portuguese people whom I never met personally but who were part of my life. Because, in the end, football is much more than a game. Football is people. Throughout my international career, I always tried to push my limits. I wanted to win, I wanted to be the best, I wanted to make history. I was always demanding of myself. I always wanted more, and I always believed that we could go even further. And I gave everything for this shirt. There were perfect afternoons and nights, victories I will never forget, and defeats whose memory still hurts me today. I also failed, I also suffered, and there were moments when I was unable to give the Portuguese people what they wanted so badly. But I never gave up. Above all, I never stopped being proud to represent Portugal. Over these years, I learned some very simple things. Goals pass, trophies remain in museums, and records are always broken eventually. But there is something that time can never erase: the place we hold in people’s hearts. If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you embrace someone, forget a worry or feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it. Because that is also what it means to be Portuguese. We suffer together, we rise together, and we believe again. Portugal will always need young people who dream, players who never give up, and new generations who believe it is possible to go where no one has gone before. Because a country that continues to produce new heroes is a country that never stops believing in itself. I would like to send a special message to my national-team teammates. Thank you for every run, every embrace, every conversation, every silence before stepping onto the pitch, every victory we celebrated together and every defeat that made us stronger. I had the privilege of being your captain. But a captain never walks alone. And you are part of my story. To all the coaches, officials, doctors, physiotherapists, kit staff, employees and everyone who worked alongside me over the years, I offer my thanks. Many of you never appear in the photographs. But without you, none of those photographs would have been possible. To my family, thank you for sharing this dream with me. Thank you for understanding my absences, the sacrifices and the moments when the national team had to occupy a place that also belonged to you. If I went this far, it is because we always moved forward hand in hand. And to you, the Portuguese people, to every Portuguese person scattered around the world, I want to say one final thing. There is an image I will always carry with me: the moment when the national anthem begins to play. I look around and see my teammates, the stands, children, mothers, fathers and grandparents; I see Portuguese people who travelled so many kilometres simply to be there. And for those few minutes, we stop being different. There are no longer clubs, colours, social classes, professions or opinions. There is only one passion: Portugal. That is the feeling I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Today, I bring my journey on the pitch with the national team to an end. I leave with my head held high, proud of the road I travelled and conscious that I gave everything for Portugal. But I will never stop being one of you. I will continue to suffer, feel every moment and celebrate every Portugal victory with you. I devoted my life to working to become the best player in the world. Today, I understand that my greatest victory was earning the honour of representing the best country in the world. Thank you for these 23 years. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for allowing me to live a dream that began when I was still a child in Madeira, running after a ball. The number seven shirt remains. The pride of having worn it will belong to me forever. Portugal will always be in me. Forever. Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Following Lionel Messi into international retirement

Ronaldo’s decision comes only a few weeks after Lionel Messi also retired from international football. The two defining players of their generation have therefore closed their respective national-team chapters within weeks of one another.

Cristiano Ronaldo will, however, continue his club career with Al-Nassr, where he remains focused on his final sporting objectives and his pursuit of 1,000 career goals.

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Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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