Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, ending a 23-year career with the Portugal national team that yielded 146 goals and 45 assists across 234 appearances, CNN Indonesia reported.
Portugal secured four consecutive victories in the UEFA Nations League under Jesus, defeating Wales 1-0 and Denmark 4-2 alongside two 2-1 wins against Norway.
Jesus shifted the team’s structure from a 4-4-2 into a fluid 4-2-3-1 during attacking phases, deploying Gonçalo Ramos as a central striker with João Félix operating directly behind him.
The tactical shift distributed scoring responsibilities across the squad, with João Cancelo contributing two goals and Vitinha adding one during the opening four matches of the Jesus era.
Ronaldo’s exit followed a period of mounting tension with the coaching staff during the September international window. After being benched for a fixture against Norway, the forward left the team’s training camp and publicly accused Jesus of breaking promises, according to CNN Indonesia.
The Portuguese Football Federation responded by imposing a 30-day suspension and a 255-euro fine on the player. Less than three weeks after those disciplinary measures, the 41-year-old forward released a video statement announcing his retirement from the national side, as reported by Langit7.id.
“This is not an easy decision, because there are decisions that are not only made with the mind, but also with the heart,” Ronaldo said, according to Langit7.id. “Portugal will always be part of me.”
Despite the Federation offering a formal farewell match, Ronaldo declined the proposal and opted against participating in a dedicated send-off fixture, detikSport reported. His final appearance in a Portugal shirt occurred on September 24 during a 67-minute outing against Wales in the UEFA Nations League.
Following the retirement, the Portugal national team assigned the iconic number seven shirt to Club Brugge winger Carlos Forbs on a temporary basis for a fixture against Denmark, according to Goal.com. UEFA regulations require participating nations to number their squads from 1 to 23, necessitating the temporary reassignment.
The Portuguese Football Federation announced a revised graphic design for the number seven jersey to honour Ronaldo’s legacy while opening a transition phase for younger players.
Bernardo Silva assumed the permanent captaincy, inheriting the armband as a veteran with 115 international caps.
Behind Silva, the squad’s leadership group expanded to include Rúben Dias, João Cancelo, Rúben Neves, and Bruno Fernandes. Midfielder Héctor Herrera addressed the end of Ronaldo’s international career by emphasizing the historic era shared between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
“Words are not needed to describe a player with a career like his,” Herrera said, as reported by Vietnam.vn. “It’s an honour to play with him and live in the same era.”
