Cristiano Ronaldo has officially announced his retirement from international football, ending a 23-year career with the Portugal national team.
The 41-year-old forward confirmed his decision in a video posted to his Instagram account on Thursday morning, bringing an end to a tenure that began in August 2003.
The departure changes the Seleção, as Ronaldo leaves behind records of 234 appearances and 146 goals. His final match for his country took place on September 24 against Wales in the UEFA Nations League, according to Sudinfo.
Reflecting on his decision, Ronaldo said that the time had come to step away from the iconic No. 7 jersey. “The day to return the No. 7 shirt of our selection to all of us has arrived,” he said in his announcement.
“I have never felt that it belonged to me alone. I have had the privilege and the responsibility to wear and defend it for 23 years in all the stadiums of the world. Today, the day has come to turn toward the future. This wasn’t a decision easy, since certain decisions depend also on the heart. A path that began in August 2003 and that changed my life forever comes to an end.”
Ronaldo’s international path started at age 18 in a match against Kazakhstan on August 20, 2003. His career also included a disappointing 2026 World Cup campaign in which he scored three goals across five matches before Portugal was eliminated in the round of 16 by Spain, the eventual world champion. Prior to his international retirement, he played club football for Sporting Portugal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, before moving to Al-Nassr in January 2023.
The announcement follows a period of tension between the player and current Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus, who had replaced Roberto Martinez after the 2026 tournament following heavy criticism of Martinez for continuing to field the aging forward despite a minimal impact on the team’s play.
In late September, Ronaldo left the national team camp before a match against Denmark after being left on the bench for a previous game against Norway on September 27, and after learning he would not start the following match. The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently imposed a 30-day suspension and a 250-euro fine on the forward.
Speaking to the Portuguese channel Canal 11, Jorge Jesus confirmed he had requested that Ronaldo remain available for selection. “It’s his decision and I have to accept it, even if I would have preferred that he stay,” Jesus said. “I had also asked him to remain available, but a return was no longer possible.”
Despite the recent friction, the federation has moved to honor the forward’s long-term contributions. Jesus said that a portrait of the player has been placed in the auditorium at the federation’s headquarters to serve as an example for younger athletes.
“He will remain forever an emblematic figure of our national team, our people and our history,” Jesus added regarding the player. “I have hung a large portrait of him in the auditorium of the federation’s headquarters so that all young players and his teammates can see him as a role model.”
Ronaldo, who has played for Al-Nassr since January 2023, concludes his international career having also won the UEFA Nations League twice, in 2019 and 2025.
