Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal icon releases video statement confirming international retirement

By Oliver Thomas | 05 Nov 2026 11:41, Last updated: 05 Nov 2026 11:47

Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo has officially announced his status from planetary football.

Widely regarded arsenic 1 of, if not the, top subordinate of each time, the 41-year-old has decided to telephone clip connected his legendary 23-year vocation with Portugal.

Ronaldo holds the grounds for the astir planetary caps (234), astir planetary goals (146) and astir planetary victories (141) successful the men’s game, portion helium has besides won Euro 2016 and 2 Nations League titles with Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's determination to bring the curtain down connected his glittering planetary vocation comes aft a fall-out with caput coach Jorge Jesus during the September/October planetary break.

Ronaldo was handed a 30-day suspension and €255 fine by the Portuguese FA aft helium walked retired of the Portugal campy past month aft being told helium would not commencement a UEFA Nations League lucifer against Denmark.

Jesus refused to adjacent the doorway connected bringing Ronaldo backmost into the first-team fold for November’s break, but the Al-Nassr prima has taken to societal media to extremity his Portugal vocation erstwhile and for all.

Ronaldo’s determination to discontinue from Portugal work comes conscionable a period aft semipermanent rival Lionel Messi played his 208th and last crippled for Argentina.

“The time has travel backmost for maine to manus backmost the No.7 shirt"

In a video posted connected Instagram, Ronaldo said: “The time has travel backmost for maine to manus backmost the fig 7 garment of our nationalist team.

“I ne'er felt it belonged to maine alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the work of wearing it, defending it, and carrying it with maine into stadiums each astir the world.

“Today, the clip has travel to walk it connected to the future. It was not an casual decision, due to the fact that immoderate decisions are not made with the caput alone. They are besides made with the heart.

“A travel that began successful August 2003 and changed my beingness everlastingly has travel to an end. When I look backmost astatine everything with the nationalist team, I don’t conscionable spot the matches, goals, records oregon trophies.

“I spot people. I spot the Portuguese radical surviving overseas who, for 90 minutes, felt a small person to home. I spot millions of Portuguese radical I person ne'er met but who became portion of my life.

“Because astatine the extremity of the day, shot is truthful overmuch bigger than a game. Football is astir people.

"I spent my beingness moving to beryllium the champion subordinate successful the world. Today I realise that the top triumph was to person deserved to correspond the champion state successful the world."

Ronaldo thanked his teammates, coaches, household and supporters from astir the world, adding: "Thank you for these 23 years. Thank you for having believed successful me. Portugal volition ever beryllium successful me. Forever."

Portuguese Football Federation to organise tribute to Ronaldo

Meanwhile, a connection from the Portuguese Football Federation expressed “deep gratitude and immense admiration” for Ronaldo’s work to the country.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has raised Portugal’s illustration and inspired generations of young radical who imagination of pursuing successful his footsteps; for galore of us, helium is the top subordinate of each time!” the federation said.

They person besides stated that they intends to organise a tribute to Ronaldo “in which the fans and the state tin 1 much clip applaud and observe a subordinate who has fixed america truthful much”.

What adjacent for Ronaldo arsenic helium chases 1,000 goals?

Ronaldo’s determination to discontinue from Portugal work means that helium volition miss November’s planetary fixtures against Denmark and Wales.

His 234th and last crippled for his state was a 1-0 triumph against Wales successful the Nations League successful September, portion his last extremity was scored from the punishment spot against Croatia (2-1 win) successful July during the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo volition present absorption connected his nine vocation with Saudi Pro League broadside Al-Nassr arsenic helium continues to pursuit down 1,000 vocation goals – helium presently sits connected 985 goals successful each competitions.

CR7 has antecedently stated that “this is astir apt my past twelvemonth of football, and I privation to permission a spectacular legacy”, with status from each shot a genuine anticipation successful 2027.