Video: Ronaldo announces retirement from Portugal national team after 23 years
Abdullateef Fowewe
Cristiano Ronaldo has brought an end to his illustrious 23-year career with the Portugal national team, announcing his international retirement on Thursday in an emotional video.
The 41-year-old Al-Nassr striker shared a nearly five-minute compilation of career highlights—goals, trophy lifts, and personal moments captioned: “Portugal will always be in me”.
In the accompanying message, Ronaldo reflected on handing back the iconic No. 7 shirt.
“To the Portuguese. The time has come to hang up the number 7 of our national team. I never felt it was exclusively mine, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and carrying it with me into stadiums all 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 mind alone. They are also made with the heart,” he said.
He added that the journey, which began in August 2003, “changed my life forever” and has now come to an end.
“When I look back at everything with the national team, I don’t just see the matches, goals, records or trophies,” he noted, before expressing gratitude, “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 just a boy in Madeira, chasing a ball. The number 7 shirt remains; the pride of having worn it will be mine forever.”
Ronaldo departs as the all-time leading scorer and most-capped player in men’s international football, with a record 146 goals in 234 appearances.
He captained Portugal through multiple major tournaments and helped transform the Seleção into consistent contenders.
His major trophies with the national team include: UEFA European Championship 2016 Portugal’s first major title, won after defeating hosts France 1-0 in extra time in the final, UEFA Nations League 2018/19 (victory over the Netherlands in the final), UEFA Nations League 2024/25 (triumph over Spain on penalties).
These three titles marked Portugal’s only senior major international honours, all achieved during Ronaldo’s era after the country had previously gone without silverware at the highest level.
The announcement follows a turbulent period.
Portugal exited the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the round of 16 against Spain.
In the subsequent Nations League window, tensions with coach Jorge Jesus led Ronaldo to leave the team camp after limited playing time.
He was later handed a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation.
In an earlier statement in October, Ronaldo had insisted he remained available and was not retiring, but after a period of reflection he has now drawn the curtain on his international career.
Ronaldo continues to play club football with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Fans and former teammates have already flooded social media with tributes, hailing the end of an era for one of football’s greatest players.
