The Cristiano Ronaldo retirement from international football became official on Thursday, 5 November 2026, when the Portugal forward, 41, announced in an Instagram video that he is handing back the number seven shirt.
According to ESPN, Ronaldo posted a lengthy video that ends an international career which began in August 2003. He leaves as the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances, and as the captain who led Portugal to the European Championship in 2016.
Cristiano Ronaldo retirement: what he said in the farewell video
Ronaldo addressed the Portuguese public directly at the start of the video and said the time had come “to hand it over to the future”. He described the number seven shirt as something that belongs to the whole country, not only to the player who wears it:
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come to hand back the number seven shirt of the national team that belongs to us all.”
Ronaldo said the decision had been hard to take, and that it was not one he reached by reasoning alone. He explained the weight of it in a single line that set the tone for the rest of the message:
“It was not an easy decision, because there are decisions that are not made solely with the head.”
He then spoke about the length of his time in the national team, a journey he said “began in August 2003 and changed my life forever”. He closed by playing down the numbers and crediting the people around him, adding that “no captain walks alone”:
“Goals come and go, trophies end up in museums, and records are eventually broken.”
What led to the Cristiano Ronaldo retirement announcement
The announcement follows a falling-out with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo’s last appearance was a 1-0 Nations League win over Wales in Lisbon on Thursday, 24 September 2026. He was then left on the bench, walked out of the squad’s training camp in October, and was handed a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
Jesus said afterwards that Ronaldo would be welcome back and that the decision was his to make. The FPF responded to the retirement by saying it felt “deep gratitude and immense admiration” for the forward, and that it plans a tribute in which fans can “applaud and celebrate a player who has given us so much”. It also said:
“For many of us, he is the greatest player of all time!”
The record Cristiano Ronaldo leaves behind
Ronaldo made his Portugal debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003 as an 18-year-old. With him in the squad, the national team went on to win the 2016 European Championship and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. His sixth and last World Cup ended in the round of 16, when Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, 6 July 2026.
Ronaldo will keep playing at club level with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi, who broke the all-time World Cup goal record in June, played his farewell match for Argentina against Benin on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.
Sources
- ESPN, Cristiano Ronaldo retires from international duty after Portugal boss fall-out
- Euronews, Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo announces retirement from international football
- Al Jazeera, Cristiano Ronaldo announces retirement from international football
- Sky Sports, Cristiano Ronaldo retires from international football after glittering Portugal career that spanned 23 years
- Yahoo Sports, Cristiano Ronaldo announces international retirement
- Swisher Post, Lionel Messi breaks the all-time World Cup goal record
