Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, 5 November 2026, at the age of 41. The Portugal captain brings an end to a career with his country that began in August 2003 and yielded three trophies.
The Al Nassr striker said goodbye in a video message titled “Portugal will always be a part of me”. He began by talking about handing back Portugal’s No. 7 shirt, reflected on what football meant to Portuguese people living abroad and thanked his teammates, coaches and family.
“Today, it’s time to pass it on to the next generation. This was not an easy decision. Some decisions are made with the heart as well as the head. And so ends a journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever,” Ronaldo said.
He added, “Today, I bring my playing career with the national team to an end. I leave with my head held high, proud of how far I’ve come and knowing I gave everything for Portugal. But I will always be one of you.”
Ronaldo said he felt it was time to pass the shirt on to a new generation. In a statement on 6 October, he had revealed that he wrote a farewell letter after the 2026 World Cup, before Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença persuaded him to reconsider and continue playing for his country.
His farewell followed a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over playing time. After remaining on the bench against Norway, Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen on 30 September and later said the coach had broken an agreement between them. The federation suspended him for 30 days and fined him €255 for leaving camp. In late October, Spanish newspaper AS reported that he had been included in the preliminary squad for the matches against Denmark and Wales.
Ronaldo made his international debut against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003, aged 18, and played his final match against Wales on 24 September 2026. He finished with 234 caps and 146 goals, both world records in men’s international football.
Euro 2016 was the high point of his Portugal career. Ronaldo went off injured in the first half of the final against France, then lifted the trophy after Éder scored the extra-time winner to give Portugal their first major title. Ronaldo also won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025, scoring against Spain in the latter final before Portugal clinched the title on penalties.
Ronaldo retires as the European Championship finals’ all-time leading scorer with 14 goals. He appeared at six World Cups and became the first player to score at six editions of the men’s tournament when he struck twice against Uzbekistan in 2026. Portugal’s run at that World Cup ended with defeat to Spain in the round of 16.
