Lisbon: Cristiano Ronaldo announced his intention to retire from the Portuguese national team on Thursday (November 5, 2026) in a social media post.
The 41-year-old said he would “hand back the number 7 shirt” after the November international break.
The Record
Ronaldo has made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 goals. He captained the team to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 and helped them win the 2019 and 2025 Nations Leagues.
He holds the all-time record for international appearances and for international goals.
A Difficult Ending
It was a sad ending to a lauded career that began more than two decades ago before Euro 2004 and finished with him walking out on the national team after falling out with coach Jorge Jesus.
In His Words
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in a long video message.
“I never felt it belonged to me alone but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world.”
