“My journey with the national team is coming to an end”: at 41, Cristiano Ronaldo announces his international retirement with Portugal

“Today my journey with the national team comes to an end.” This time, it's probably really over. After 23 years in the Portuguese jersey, Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday, November 5, that he was ending his international career in the form of a video published on his social networks.

“The day has arrived to return the number 7 jersey of our selection to all (...) I am putting an end to a journey which began in August 2003 and which changed my life forever”, announced the five-time Ballon d’Or in this video published on his Instagram account.

Almost 42 years old, the legend of Lusitano football leaves the selection with a record of 146 goals, a record, in 234 matches. Arriving in the selection in 2003, he burst onto the scene the following year, taking his selection to the Euro final, losing in the final to Greece (1-0). He finally made up for it 12 years later, by winning the European Championship against France, in 2016. If he therefore never won the World Cup with the Seleçao, he will have helped them win two Nations Leagues, in 2019 and 2025.

An exit marked by a conflict with his coach

After apologizing for leaving the Seleçao gathering on September 30, on the eve of a match against Denmark in Copenhagen, "CR7" received a symbolic sanction of 30 days of suspension and a fine of 255 euros.

The Portuguese Football Federation had paved the way for his return by announcing last week that he was among the fifty players pre-summoned to face Denmark on November 14 in Braga, then Wales, three days later in Cardiff.

But if Ronaldo regretted his attitude towards the supporters and his teammates, he charged the coach Jorge Jesus with a long indictment accusing him of having betrayed his trust. Coming 24 hours ahead of the coach's announcement of his final list for the next two Nations League matches, the Portuguese captain announced that he would not return.

During his last major tournament, the World Cup organized in summer 2026 in North America, the native of the island of Madeira became the first player in history to score in six World Cups, but the competition ended with a lackluster performance with the elimination of Portugal in the round of 16 against Spain (1-0), the future champion.