Cristiano Ronaldo announces retirement from international football

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football on November 5, 2026, ending a successful 23-year career with the Portugal national team.

The Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed this in a video posted on his social media on Thursday morning.

According to the 41-year-old, “the time has come for me to hand my country’s number seven shirt back.”

Ronaldo made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 goals. He holds the men’s all-time record for international appearances and for international goals.

A five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo is the first player to score in six different editions of the World Cup, the first coming in 2006.

Ronaldo captained Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 and helped them win the 2019 and 2025 Nations Leagues.

Ronaldo also added that, “Some decisions are not made with the mind.”

This comes amid his fallout with head coach Jorge Jesus during the last international break.

“It was not an easy decision, because there are decisions that are not made only with the head. They are also made with the heart,” Ronaldo said on social media.

“If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you hug someone, forget a worry or feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it.”

Ronaldo expressed appreciation to his family, the Portuguese people and the teammates, coaches and staff he worked with over his 23-year career with the national team.

“Portugal will always be a part of me,” he captioned the announcement video.

His final international tournament appearance was at the 2026 World Cup, where he tried to win the one major trophy that has eluded him. Portugal exited in the last 16 with a 1-0 loss to eventual champions and Iberian rivals Spain.

Ronaldo did, however, join Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the only men to feature at six World Cups, another of the international records held by the Al-Nassr forward.