The 41-year-old forward leaves international football as his country’s record scorer, with 146 goals in 234 appearances.
Cristiano Ronaldo has walked away from international football, closing a 23-year run with Portugal that began in 2003 and ended with him as his country's all-time leading scorer.
The forward, now 41 and playing his club football for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, announced the decision on social media. He signed off with the line "Portugal will always be in me."
The numbers
Ronaldo finishes with 146 goals in 234 caps for Portugal. He appeared at 12 major tournaments in all — six World Cups and six European Championships.
His biggest moment came at Euro 2016, when Portugal won their first major title. He added two UEFA Nations League trophies, in 2019 and again in 2025. Portugal's most recent World Cup ended in the round of 16, where they were knocked out by Spain, who went on to win the tournament.
Why now
As reported by Daily Guide Network, the retirement follows a breakdown in relations between Ronaldo and Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus during the previous international break. The two have not spoken since 30 September, and Ronaldo was unwilling to play under him.
He had been expected to be named in the squad Jesus was due to announce on Friday.
This was not the first time he came close to stopping. Ronaldo said publicly during the last international window that he had thought about ending his Portugal career after the World Cup, while also saying he would not rush a decision. A statement posted on Instagram said he had already written a retirement message, but was persuaded to hold off by Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, during the flight home from North America.
In his own words
In his farewell message, Ronaldo said he was leaving "with my head held high" and with the knowledge that he gave everything he had for Portugal.
He also played down the trophies and statistics. "The goals pass, the cups are in museums, the records end up being beaten," he said, arguing that what lasts is the place a player holds in people's hearts.
He added that while he spent his life trying to be the best player in the world, the greater achievement was earning the right to represent his country. He thanked team-mates, coaches, his family and supporters worldwide for "these 23 years."
What happens next
Portugal move on without him in the Nations League, where they sit top of Group A4 with a perfect record. They host Denmark a week on Saturday and travel to Cardiff to face Wales on 17 November.
For Ghanaian fans — at home and in the United States — Ronaldo has been a fixture of nearly every World Cup cycle since 2006, including the memorable 2014 group-stage meeting between Ghana and Portugal. His exit closes one of the longest international careers in the modern game.
