Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has said goodbye to international football after 23 years with the national team.
The 41-year-old forward shared the news in an emotional message on Instagram on Thursday. He said he was handing over Portugal’s famous number seven shirt after a career that changed his life.
“The day has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo stated.
He continued, “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.
“Today, the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart.”
Ronaldo made his senior international debut in August 2003. He reflected on his journey with Portugal and the people and experiences that influenced his time with the team.
“A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end. When I look back at everything with the national team, I don’t just see the matches, goals, records or trophies.
“I see people. I see the Portuguese people living abroad who, for 90 minutes, felt a little closer to home. I see millions of Portuguese people I have never met but who became part of my life. Because at the end of the day, football is so much bigger than a game. Football is about people,” he added.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner explained that he always pushed himself to achieve more while representing his country, despite the disappointments along the way.
“Throughout my entire career with the national team, I always pushed myself beyond my limits.
“I wanted to win, I wanted to be better, I wanted to make history. I always demanded the most of myself. I always wanted more. I always believed we could go further. And I gave everything I had for this shirt,” he said.
He also recognized the defeats and times he felt he let down Portuguese supporters.
“I made mistakes. I suffered. There were also moments when I couldn’t give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal,” he said.
Ronaldo leaves the national team as the highest-scoring player in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances, according to UEFA numbers updated in October 2026.
He is also the most-capped male international footballer ever, having surpassed Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa’s record. Ronaldo made history as the first player to score at six different World Cup tournaments in 2026.
His international career kicked off on August 20, 2003, against Kazakhstan. He played in the 2004 European Championship, where Portugal finished as runners-up after losing the final to Greece.
He led Portugal to their first major international trophy at Euro 2016, despite being injured during the final against France. The country also won the first UEFA Nations League in 2019 and lifted the trophy again in 2025.
Outside of international football, Ronaldo is one of the most decorated players in the sport. He has won five Ballon d’Or awards and five UEFA Champions League titles while playing for clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
He also won league titles in England, Spain, and Italy. Ronaldo became Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer during his nine years at the Spanish club.
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