Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal duty after 234 caps and 146 goals

The essentials: Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday, November 5, 2026 that he is retiring from Portugal’s national team. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward made the announcement in a video on his social media accounts, ending an international career that began in 2003 and produced 234 caps and 146 goals, both records in the men’s game, according to Reuters.

What did Ronaldo say?

In the video, which lasts around five minutes according to Orange Sports, Ronaldo addressed Portuguese fans directly. “To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team,” he said, in a translation by Reuters.

He added: “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.”

Ronaldo described the move as a difficult decision, made “not only with the head, but also with the heart”, according to the French translation published by Orange Sports. He recalled that the journey started in August 2003 and said that when he looks back, he does not only see matches, goals, records or trophies, but the millions of Portuguese people who followed the team.

Why now?

Ronaldo did not give a detailed reason in the extracts published so far. The context matters, though. During Portugal’s last international camp, he left the squad amid tensions with head coach Jorge Jesus, Orange Sports reports. Foot Mercato describes a falling-out with the coach and says Ronaldo had been expected to return.

He had been named in the preliminary list for the next camp, scheduled for November, according to Orange Sports. Instead, he chose to step away for good. RTÉ, relaying Reuters, headlined that he would retire “this month”, but neither outlet has detailed a farewell match.

What does his Portugal career add up to?

Ronaldo leaves as the most capped and highest-scoring player in men’s international football. With Portugal, he won three trophies.

Key figures
International debut	August 2003
Years with the national team	23
Caps	234 (men’s record)
Goals	146 (men’s record)
Major titles	Euro 2016, Nations League 2019 and 2025
Other milestones	Euro 2004 final, third place at the 2017 Confederations Cup

Sources: Reuters via RTÉ, Orange Sports, Portuguese Football Federation via Foot Mercato.

At club level, his most decorated period included a 2007-08 season at Manchester United that fans recently voted the best Ballon d’Or-winning campaign of all time, as we reported in our article on the Ballon d’Or of All Time vote.

How did the Portuguese federation react?

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) published a statement on the day of the announcement, according to Foot Mercato. It thanked its “eternal” captain for an “absolutely extraordinary” journey, described him as an inspiring leader and said he had carried the country on his shoulders over 234 caps and 146 goals.

The federation went further, calling Ronaldo, “for many of us, the best player of all time”. It also said it would not let the farewell happen without paying him the tribute he deserves. No date or format for that tribute has been announced.

What happens next?

Ronaldo is not retiring from football altogether: he is stepping away from international football only. He still plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr, as Foot Mercato and Orange Sports point out.

For Portugal, the question is how quickly the team can move on from a player who has been at the centre of every squad for more than two decades. Jorge Jesus now has to build a team without its captain from the November camp onwards. The other open question is the form of the tribute promised by the federation, which has not yet given any details.