Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From Portugal Duty With Record 146 Goals in 234 Caps

Cristiano Ronaldo announced Nov. 5 that he is retiring from international football after 23 years with Portugal, a record 146 goals in 234 caps, a Euro 2016 title and two Nations League crowns, weeks after walking out of camp following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus.

Nov 05, 2026 - 14:21

0 4

Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football, ending a 23-year career with Portugal that produced a men's record 146 goals in 234 appearances. The 41-year-old forward announced the decision on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in a video message posted on Instagram, according to BBC Sport, Sky Sports and The Associated Press, whose report was published by The Guardian.

The announcement came one day before Portugal coach Jorge Jesus was due to name his squad for this month's UEFA Nations League matches, and roughly five weeks after Ronaldo walked out of the national team's training camp following a dispute with Jesus over playing time.

"The Day Has Come"

"To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team," Ronaldo said in the video, as quoted by BBC Sport. "I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world."

He added that "it was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone - they are also made with the heart," and said that "a journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end."

He did not reference the falling-out in the video but acknowledged mistakes, BBC Sport noted. "There were defeats that still hurt to remember. I made mistakes; I suffered," he said, according to the BBC. "I spent my life working to become the best player in the world. Today I realise my greatest victory was earning the honour of representing the best country in the world."

A Record-Setting International Career

Ronaldo's goals and caps totals are both world records, BBC Sport reported. Sky Sports said he played in 12 major tournaments, six World Cups and six European Championships. He had captained the national team since 2008, according to the BBC.

Portugal won the 2016 European Championship with Ronaldo, beating France in the final, a title NBC Sports described as the only major trophy in the country's history. Portugal had also finished as runners-up at Euro 2004, according to BBC Sport. Ronaldo added Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025, Sky Sports reported, and BBC Sport noted that he scored a hat-trick against Switzerland to send Portugal into the first Nations League final, which they won.

According to BBC Sport, Portugal did not progress beyond the semi-finals of a World Cup during his career. At the 2026 tournament this summer, his sixth World Cup, Ronaldo started every match before Portugal were eliminated in the round of 16 by eventual champions Spain.

The Dispute With Jorge Jesus

Jesus, who coached Ronaldo for a year at Saudi club Al-Nassr, took over the national team from Roberto Martinez after the World Cup. Jesus started Ronaldo in his first match in charge, a 1-0 Nations League win over Wales on Sept. 24 that proved to be Ronaldo's final international appearance, according to Sky Sports and The Guardian. Ronaldo was then named a substitute and did not come off the bench in a 2-1 win over Norway. BBC Sport described that as the first time he had been an unused substitute in a competitive Portugal match since 2008.

When Jesus said Ronaldo would not start the following match against Denmark, Ronaldo left the camp on the eve of the Oct. 1 fixture, according to Sky Sports. In a lengthy statement at the time, he said he was not retiring and accused Jesus of twice breaking his word, BBC Sport reported. Jesus denied at a later press conference that the agreement Ronaldo described had been made, Sky Sports reported. Ronaldo apologized to his teammates and the Portuguese public for leaving the squad.

The Portuguese Football Federation fined Ronaldo 215 pounds and suspended him for 30 days, a period that did not include any Portugal games, according to BBC Sport. Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had not spoken to Jesus since Sept. 30 and did not want to play under him.

Speaking after Thursday's announcement, Jesus said he had asked Ronaldo to continue. "We already had the opportunity to discuss this before the first squad announcement. I asked him to stay, to carry on with me because I needed him by my side, but I have to accept his decision," Jesus said, in remarks published by Yahoo Sports via OneFootball. He called Ronaldo "a global icon, an icon for Portugal and for the national team."

Tributes and What Comes Next

The Portuguese Football Federation said it would not "let this farewell take place without due tribute," BBC Sport reported. In its statement, quoted by The Guardian, the federation said Ronaldo "has raised Portugal's profile and inspired generations of young people who dream of following in his footsteps; for many of us, he is the greatest player of all time!" Sky Sports reported that the federation's message also included the line "Let's go for goal 1,000!"

Tributes also came from Al-Nassr, Manchester United, Portugal and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, former Portugal defender Pepe and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, according to reaction collected by The Guardian.

Ronaldo will continue to play club football. The Guardian, citing the AP, reported that he is expected to finish his club career at the end of this season with Al-Nassr, and that he has 985 career goals as he pursues his 1,000th.

His exit follows that of longtime rival Lionel Messi, who retired from international football in October after a farewell match in front of an 85,000-strong crowd in Buenos Aires, BBC Sport reported. Portugal, who lead Nations League Group A4 with a perfect record according to Sky Sports, next face Denmark at home and Wales in Cardiff on Nov. 17.