Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his international retirement

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his intention to retire from international football, ending one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the game. The Portugal captain confirmed his decision via a social media post on Thursday, revealing that he would be ‘returning the number 7 shirt’ after the international break in November.The 41-year-old leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in Portuguese football, establishing himself as the most prolific goalscorer and most played player in men’s international football.Ronaldo has represented Portugal in 234 matches and scored an incredible 146 goals since his international debut against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003. His first international goal came against Greece during UEFA Euro 2004, a tournament that marked the beginning of his journey to becoming one of the greatest football players of all time.Cristiano Ronaldo shared a heartfelt message with his fans in his retirement video. “To the people of Portugal, the day has come for me to return the No. 7 jersey of our national team,” Ronaldo, 41, said in a lengthy video message on social media.“I never felt like it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it and taking it with me to stadiums around the world.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s International Career: Goals, Performances and Records

Ronaldo’s numbers for Portugal underline his extraordinary consistency and longevity at international level. With 146 goals in 234 games, he remains comfortably ahead of every other player in the men’s international goalscoring charts.He also has 10 international hat-tricks and has scored four goals in a single game on two occasions.Of his 146 international goals, 124 have come in competitive matches, including FIFA World Cup matches, European Championships, UEFA Nations League matches and qualifiers. The remaining 22 goals came in international friendlies.His international career began in August 2003 and he became Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer and appearance maker.

Six World Cups, European Championship glory and Nations League titles

At the FIFA World Cup, he became the first player to score in six different editions of the tournament, achieving the milestone across 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026. He has scored 11 goals in the history of the World Cup.At the European Championship, Ronaldo holds the all-time record for scoring goals with 14 goals in six tournaments. His most memorable international success came in 2016 when he led Portugal to their first ever European Championship title. He also played a significant role in Portugal’s triumphs in the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.