Cristiano Ronaldo retired from Portugal duty on Nov. 5 after 23 years and a record 146 goals. See what he said, why now and what happens next.
Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international soccer. The 41-year-old announced on Thursday, Nov. 5, in a video where he read a letter to supporters, that he is handing back Portugal's number 7 shirt after 23 years. He is not leaving the game: according to CNN, he still plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr and is closing in on 1,000 career goals.
What did Cristiano Ronaldo say?
"The day has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team," Ronaldo said, as quoted by CNN. He added that he never felt it belonged to him alone, and that for 23 years he had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it. "It was not an easy decision," he said, because some decisions are made with the heart and not only the head. The BBC reports that he described a journey that began in August 2003.
The video was titled "Portugal will always be a part of me," per CNN. In it he also thanked supporters, saying that if one of his goals ever made someone hug another person, forget a worry or feel proud of the country, it was all worth it.
What are his Portugal numbers?
CNN and the BBC both give a record 234 appearances and a record 146 international goals, the most by any man for his country. Sky Sports lists 243 caps, so the outlets disagree on that one figure. We are using 234 because it is the number given by CNN, the BBC and Transfermarkt, and it is worth checking again once Portugal's federation publishes its own tally.
The trophies, according to CNN: the 2016 European Championship, the headline win of his Portugal career, plus the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He debuted in 2003.
Why is he leaving now?
The retirement follows a public fallout. The BBC reports that Ronaldo walked out of the Portugal camp last month after being told he would not start a Nations League match against Denmark. CNN says he clashed with new head coach Jorge Jesus after this summer's World Cup in North America and stormed out of a training camp. Ronaldo apologized afterward, and CNN says it appeared he would carry on with the team.
ESPN's report on his long history of rows with coaches says Portugal boss Jesus insisted there was "no issue" and admitted mistakes in how he handled Ronaldo's role in a 2-1 win over Norway on Sept. 27, when Ronaldo was an unused substitute. ESPN also notes the last four years had been relatively calm by Ronaldo standards under former coach Roberto Martinez. None of the outlets we read gives a single stated reason for the timing beyond Ronaldo's own letter, so any claim that one event forced his hand is interpretation.
What happens next for Portugal and Ronaldo?
Portugal plays Denmark and Wales in the Nations League during the international break later this month. CNN says the Portuguese Football Federation "refuses to let this farewell take place without due tribute" and wants fans and the country to have a chance to applaud him. The federation had not yet named its squad for those games in the coverage we read, and it has not said what the tribute will look like.
For Ronaldo, the next goals come at club level. CNN puts him on 985 career goals with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. That is 15 short of 1,000, a number nobody has reached. We could not verify the 985 total against an official source, so treat it as CNN's count.
What it means for U.S. fans
For American viewers the practical change is simple: there will be no more Ronaldo in a Portugal shirt, so the November Nations League games against Denmark and Wales are now the last Portugal fixtures with a farewell attached. CNN says the match dates fall in the international break later this month, and we have not confirmed U.S. broadcast details, so check your provider's listings closer to the games.
If you want to keep watching him play, the only route is club soccer with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. We did not find a U.S. schedule for his club matches in the coverage we read.
Our take
This is an ending that fits his career: huge numbers, a trophy that defined Portugal's modern era, and a messy last chapter. The records will hold for a long time. Our view is that the argument about how it ended will fade faster than the numbers. What is still open is the tribute. If the federation gets the farewell right, the last image of Ronaldo in a Portugal shirt may be a better one than the walkout. That is opinion, not reporting.
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Picture credit: Photo: Ludovic Péron (CC BY-SA 3.0), 2011 file photo
