Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal duty after 23 years and 146 goals
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has announced he is leaving international football after 23 years with Portugal.
- He bows out as men's football's top international scorer with 146 goals in 234 caps.
- Vanguard reported he fell out with coach Jorge Jesus last month over his use of him.
Cristiano Ronaldo has called time on his Portugal career, ending a 23-year run with the national team at the age of 41.
The forward made the announcement in a video posted on his Instagram account on Thursday, saying he was giving up the number seven shirt he has worn for Portugal since his senior debut in August 2003.
He described the shirt as something he never saw as his alone, and said carrying it around the world for more than two decades had been both a privilege and a duty. He also said the choice was not one the head alone could make.
Ronaldo leaves as the highest scorer in men's international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances, according to UEFA figures updated in October 2026. He is also the most-capped male international player in history.
What he leaves behind
His Portugal story began against Kazakhstan in 2003. A year later he played at Euro 2004, where Portugal lost the final to Greece.
The high point came at Euro 2016, when he captained Portugal to their first major trophy even after going off injured in the final against France. Portugal went on to win the first UEFA Nations League in 2019 and lifted it again in 2025.
He became the first player to score at six different World Cups in 2026.
In his message, Ronaldo said he had made mistakes and had known moments when he could not give Portuguese fans what they wanted, but that he never stopped being proud to wear the shirt. He said the game had always been about people, including Portuguese living abroad who felt closer to home for 90 minutes.
Vanguard reported that Ronaldo fell out with national coach Jorge Jesus last month after the coach declined to use him in a Nations League match, and that Ronaldo left the team camp soon after. The other reports did not mention the dispute.
At club level, Ronaldo won five Ballon d'Or awards and five Champions League titles, and played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, among others. He won league titles in England, Spain and Italy and became Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer during nine years in Spain.
What happens next
Portugal must now plan without the player who has defined their attack for two decades. Ronaldo's club future was not addressed in the reports.
