Cristiano Ronaldo has called time on his international career, bringing down the curtain on 23 years of representing Portugal.
The 41-year-old forward confirmed the decision on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in a video shared across his social media accounts, announcing that he would no longer wear the national team shirt.
Ronaldo bows out with 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal between 2003 and 2026 — records that make him the highest goalscorer and most-capped player in men’s international football.
In his announcement, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward framed the decision as a handover rather than a farewell.
It Never Belonged To Me Alone
He said: “To the Portuguese people. The day has come for me to hand back to number seven shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone. But for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, of 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.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner thanked his teammates, coaches, family and supporters for their contributions throughout his international career.
His Portugal honours include the 2016 European Championship and the UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025, the latter two as captain.
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The FIFA World Cup, however, eluded him. Portugal’s fourth-place finish at the 2006 tournament remains the country’s best performance during his international career.
The announcement comes amid reports of tensions with head coach Jorge Jesus during the previous international break.
Ronaldo’s decision concerns only his international career, as he has yet to announce plans to retire from club football.