Cristiano Ronaldo has ended his international career with Portugal after 23 years, 234 appearances and 146 goals — both figures world records for a men’s national team, Welt reported. The 41-year-old announced the decision in a lengthy statement distributed on Instagram, which he read from a sheet of paper while seated on his sofa. “The day has come to return the No. 7 jersey of our national team,” he said.
The announcement closes the career of the most-capped player and top scorer in international football history, and it lands with a shadow: the final weeks were marked by a public rupture between Ronaldo and Portugal’s national team coach, after he walked out of the team hotel in late September and flew to Madrid on a private jet.
A statement read from a sofa, posted to Instagram
In his farewell message, Ronaldo framed the No. 7 shirt as something he never owned. “I never felt it was exclusively mine, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility to wear it, defend it and take it with me into stadiums around the world,” he said. He added: “There are no clubs, no colors, no classes, no professions, no opinions — there is only one passion: Portugal.”
He said he was leaving “with my head held high, proud of the path I’ve traveled, and aware that I gave everything I had for Portugal.” The tribute poured in immediately. Portugal’s president wrote: “On behalf of Portugal, I thank Cristiano Ronaldo for the way he represented the national team, inspired the Portuguese and carried Portugal’s name to the world.” UEFA described his career as “a legacy that will endure forever.” Portugal international Fábio Silva of Borussia Dortmund kept his message short: “The best of all.”
Federation president Pedro Proença, who tried to mediate in the final days, said after the retirement: “Forever our captain. The doors of the Portuguese Football Federation are always open to Cristiano Ronaldo. Thank you for everything — and for so much.”
The late-September rupture that preceded the exit
What the tributes could not disguise was the dispute that drove the ending. Welt reported that when Ronaldo did not play in the Nations League match in Norway at the end of September, and was again left on the bench four days later against Denmark, he left the team hotel overnight and had himself flown to Madrid on a private aircraft.
His explanation in the days that followed — accusations against the coach and the expectation that the coach should have publicly read aloud a statement Ronaldo himself had written — only deepened the rift. Even many fans and media in Portugal concluded that the departure showed too much self-interest and too little of the “passion for Portugal” Ronaldo invoked in his farewell. The Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo described the ending as “bittersweet.”
Trophies, records and the World Cup that never came
The numbers remain the core of the story. With Portugal, Ronaldo won the European Championship in 2016 and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. His 234 caps and 146 international goals are records he still holds ahead of his longtime rival Lionel Messi of Argentina. Six World Cup appearances are another best mark, shared with Messi and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa.
What he never won was the World Cup. His final tournament ended on July 6 with a 0-1 round-of-16 defeat to Spain. In his farewell statement he acknowledged the gap: “I also failed, I also suffered, there were moments when I could not give the Portuguese what they wished for so much. But I never gave up.”
What remains open in Lisbon
The federation’s message leaves the formal door open — Proença said the federation’s doors stand open to Ronaldo at any time — but Ronaldo’s statement reads as a final one, and no return has been announced. What is not known is whether the 41-year-old, still the face of Portugal’s most successful era, will ever wear the shirt again.
Questions readers still have about Ronaldo’s exit
How many games and goals did Ronaldo record for Portugal?
He finished with 234 caps and 146 goals in 23 years with the national team, both men’s international records, according to Welt.
Why did he leave the team hotel in September?
Welt reported that after not playing against Norway and being benched against Denmark four days later in Nations League matches, he left the team hotel overnight and traveled to Madrid on a private jet.
Did Ronaldo win the World Cup with Portugal?
No. He won Euro 2016 and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025, but his last World Cup ended on July 6 with a 0-1 loss to Spain in the round of 16.
Has the Portuguese federation closed the door on a return?
No. Federation president Pedro Proença said the federation’s doors remain open to Ronaldo at any time, though no return has been announced.
Earlier coverage: Cristiano Ronaldo Retires from Portugal After 234 Caps and 146 Goals
- Conmebol rejects Corinthians’ new documents; Seedorf remains unrecognized as Conmebol coach
- Alcaraz vs Fritz Paris Masters 1000 Quarterfinals: Time, TV Channel & How to Watch Live
- Ronaldo’s 2008 season wins the Ballon d’Or of All Time fan poll (breakinglatest.news)
- Bank of England expected to raise interest rates for first time in three years (newsarchyuk.com)
/data/photo/2026/10/28/6ae1fc91b9554.jpeg)