Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal duty after 234 caps

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, ending a Portugal career that began in 2003. According to BBC Sport, the 41-year-old forward finishes with 146 goals in 234 appearances, both world records. He confirmed the decision in an Instagram video, describing the difficulty of bringing his time with the national team to a close.

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Ronaldo said he was ready to pass Portugal's number seven shirt to the next generation after 23 years. His announcement comes before Friday's squad selection for this month's Nations League matches, with Portugal due to host Denmark and travel to Wales. In his farewell message, he reflected on victories, painful defeats and mistakes while stressing his enduring pride in representing his country.

The departure follows a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus in September. BBC Sport reported that Ronaldo left the Portugal camp after being told he would not start against Denmark. The Portuguese federation subsequently imposed a £215 fine and a 30-day suspension, although the suspension period contained no Portugal matches. Jesus had said the possibility of a return remained open.

The disagreement developed after Ronaldo was named among the substitutes against Norway and did not play. When he later left camp, Ronaldo issued a statement saying he was not retiring and accusing Jesus of failing to honour commitments. His farewell video did not address that falling-out, according to the BBC, so the announcement itself did not explain whether the dispute determined his decision.

Ronaldo captained Portugal from 2008 and appeared at six European Championships. He was part of the team that finished runner-up in 2004 before Portugal won the competition in 2016. His international honours also included Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. He started every Portugal match at his sixth World Cup this summer, when the team lost to eventual champions Spain in the last 16.

The Portuguese federation said it wanted to arrange a tribute recognising his international career and giving supporters another opportunity to celebrate his contribution. Its statement expressed a commitment to help organise a fitting farewell, without setting out a specific event in the BBC report. Portugal's next squad announcement will now take place with their record scorer having formally ended his international career.