‎Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal national team 

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football. The Al-Nassr forward career spanned over 23 years with the Portuguese national team.

‎The 41-year-old took to social media on Thursday morning to confirm the decision, with the caption “Portugal will always be in me.”

‎Ronaldo ends his international career with an incredible 146 goals in 234 appearances, being part of the Portugal squad which won Euro 2016 and two Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

‎The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made the announcement with a five minute video on social media, and here is the statement in full.

‎Cristiano Ronaldo Retirement Statement

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after winning the UEFA Nations League trophy (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

‎”To the Portuguese, the day has come to return the number 7 jersey of the national team to all of us.

‎”I never felt it was exclusively mine. But for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility to wear it, to defend it and to take it with me to the stadiums all over the world. Today the time has come to give it to the future.

‎”It was not an easy decision, because there are decisions that are not taken only with the head, they are also taken with the heart.

‎”I finish a journey that started in August 2003 and changed my life forever. When I look back and think about everything I lived in the national team, I do not see only games, goals, records or trophies. I see people.

‎”I see immigrants who for 90 minutes felt Portugal a little closer. I see millions of Portuguese that I never met personally, but who were part of my life. Because after all, football is much bigger than a game. Football is people.

‎”Throughout my career in the national team I tried to overcome my limits. I wanted to win, I wanted to be the best, I wanted to make history. I was always demanding of myself. I always wanted more, I always believed that we could go further.

‎”And I gave everything I had for this jersey. There were perfect afternoons and nights, there were victories that I will never forget. There were defeats that I still have a hard time remembering today.

‎”I also failed, I also suffered, there were also times when I was not able to give the Portuguese what they so desired.

‎”But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal. Over the years I learned very simple things. The goals pass, the cups are in museums, the records are beaten.

‎”But there is something that time can never erase. The place that we occupy in people’s hearts. If I ever made you happy, if a goal of mine made you hug someone, forget a worry or feel pride in our country, then everything was worth it. Because being Portuguese is also that.

‎”We suffer together, we get up together. We believe again. Portugal will always need young people who dream, players who never give up, new generations who believe that it is possible to get where no one has reached. Because a country that continues to create new heroes is a country that never ceases to believe in itself.

‎”To my teammates, I want to leave a special word. Thank you for every race, for every hug, for every discussion, for every silence before entering the field. For every victory we celebrated together and for every defeat that made us stronger. I had the privilege of being your captain.

‎”A captain doesn’t walk alone. You are part of my story. To all the coaches, directors, doctors, physiotherapists, dressers, employees and to so many people who work with me over the years, my thanks. Many of you never appeared in the photographs.

‎”But without you, none of these photographs would have been possible. To my family, thank you for sharing this dream with me. Thank you for understanding the absences, sacrifices and the moments when the national team had to occupy a space that also belonged to you. If I got so far, it was because we were always at hand.

‎”And to the Portuguese, to all the Portuguese around the world, I want to tell you one last thing. There is an image that I will always carry with me. The moment when the national anthem begins. I look around me, I see my teammates, I see the benches, I see children, mothers, parents and grandmothers.

‎”I see the Portuguese who came from so far just to be there. And during those minutes, we stopped being different. There are no clubs, no colors, no classes, no professions, no opinions. There is only one passion. Portugal.

‎”It is this feeling that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Today I finish my journey on the pitch with the national team. I leave my head held high, with pride in the path I took and with the awareness that I gave everything I had for Portugal.

‎”But I will never stop being one of you. I will continue to suffer, to vibrate and to celebrate every victory of Portugal with myself. I spent my life working to be the best player in the world. Today I realised that the greatest victory was to have the merit of representing the best country in the world.

‎”Thank you for these 23 years. Thank you for having believed in me. Thank you for allowing me to live a dream that started when I was just a boy on Madeira, running after a ball, in Lisbon, wearing the jersey number 7, the pride of having worn it will be mine forever.

‎”Portugal will always be in me. Forever.”

‎Ronaldo made his senior debut for the Portuguese national team in 2003 against Kazakhstan. He went on to make 234 appearances and scored 146 goals.

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