Cristiano Ronaldo announces retirement from Portugal team

Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday, November 5, that he will retire from Portugal's national team. The 41-year-old said in a social media post that he will "hand back the number 7 shirt" after the November international break, Reuters reported. He leaves with 234 caps and 146 goals, both all-time records in men's international football.reuters.com

The announcement ends a 23-year international career that began with his debut against Kazakhstan on August 20, 2003. It also follows a public falling-out with head coach Jorge Jesus.ca.sports.yahoo.com+1

A Video Farewell

Ronaldo made the announcement in a video posted to his X account under the caption "Portugal estará sempre em mim," or "Portugal will always be in me". "I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the honour and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world," he said. He called it "not an easy decision" and said it was time "to pass it on to the future". He added that he leaves "with my head held high," knowing he "gave everything for Portugal".aljazeera.com+3

A Turbulent Final Chapter

The end of his time with Portugal was messy. Ronaldo walked out of the national team camp partway through a run of Nations League matches. He was apparently protesting the way coach Jorge Jesus handled him in the second game against Norway, and he was fined for leaving, The Athletic wrote. Ronaldo had been left on the bench for Portugal's Nations League win over Norway. That raised questions about his future and put him publicly at odds with Jesus, who had previously managed him at Al Nassr. It is not yet clear whether he will get a farewell match.nytimes.com+1

A Record-Setting Legacy

Ronaldo has 26 more caps and 20 more goals than anyone else in international football. Lionel Messi is second on both lists and ended his own Argentina career in October, according to The Athletic. Ronaldo won three major titles with Portugal: Euro 2016 and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. At the 2026 World Cup, he became the first player to score at six editions of the tournament.business-standard.com+2

The Athletic's Tim Spiers pointed out that Ronaldo still scored 28 international goals between 2022 and 2026, even after he lost his guaranteed starting place. Spiers argued that people will remember his prime years far more than the rough ending. "The number 7 shirt stays, the pride of having worn it will be mine forever," Ronaldo said.indiatoday.in+1