Cristiano Ronaldo Announces Portugal Retirement After 23-Year International Career

Key points

1. Cristiano Ronaldo announced on November 5, 2026, that he will retire from the Portugal national team after the November international break.
2. The 41-year-old has made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 international goals, both men's international records.
3. Ronaldo made his Portugal debut in 2003 and represented the country across six FIFA World Cups.
4. He captained Portugal to the Euro 2016 title, the country's first major international trophy.
5. Portugal also won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025 during Ronaldo's international career.
6. Ronaldo said he would hand back the national team's No. 7 shirt after 23 years of wearing it.

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that he will retire from the Portugal national team after the November international break, bringing the curtain down on a 23-year international career. The 41-year-old made the announcement on Thursday, November 5, 2026, saying it was time to hand back the iconic No. 7 shirt he had worn for his country.

Ronaldo leaves Portugal duty as the men's international record-holder for both appearances and goals. He has played 234 matches for his country and scored 146 goals, figures that place him at the top of the global records in the men's game, according to Reuters.

A record-breaking international career

Ronaldo's Portugal career began in 2003, before the country hosted the European Championship in 2004. Over the following 23 years, he became the central figure in the national team's modern era, serving as captain and appearing at six FIFA World Cups.

His scoring record became one of the defining features of his international career. With 146 goals in 234 appearances, he established a benchmark for international football that combines longevity with an extraordinary level of production. The appearance record also reflects his sustained presence in Portugal squads across multiple generations of players.

In his farewell message, Ronaldo described wearing the No. 7 shirt as a privilege and responsibility. He said the shirt never belonged to him alone, but that he had been honoured to wear, defend and carry it into stadiums around the world for 23 years.

Euro 2016 and Portugal's major honours

The most significant team achievement of Ronaldo's international career came at Euro 2016 in France. Portugal won its first major international trophy, defeating the hosts in the final. Ronaldo was injured and forced off during the match, but continued to encourage his teammates from the touchline as Portugal secured the title.

Portugal added the UEFA Nations League trophy in 2019, giving the national team another major honour during Ronaldo's time as captain. The country won the competition again in 2025, extending a period in which Portugal collected silverware while its most recognisable player remained a central presence.

Those titles gave Ronaldo's international career a team legacy to match the individual records. Portugal had long produced technically gifted players, but the Euro 2016 success delivered a landmark result for the senior men's side and changed the way the country's football history was viewed.

The final chapter and the November decision

The retirement announcement follows a period of uncertainty around Ronaldo's relationship with the national team. In September, he left Portugal's training camp in Copenhagen after a disagreement involving his role and head coach Jorge Jesus. The episode prompted questions about whether he would continue representing his country.

Ronaldo subsequently said in October that he remained available for Portugal and was not retiring at that point. He also gave his account of the disagreement with the coach and accepted that the Portuguese Football Federation should assess his departure from camp. The November 5 announcement is therefore a change from the position he had publicly expressed weeks earlier.

Reuters reported that Ronaldo's retirement would take effect after the November international break. The timing brings his international career to a close after one final period with the national team, rather than an immediate exit on the day of the announcement.

A legacy beyond the numbers

Ronaldo's Portugal career has spanned more than two decades of change in international football. He moved from a teenage debutant in 2003 to captain, record scorer and the most-capped men's international player. His six World Cup appearances and presence at multiple European Championships made him a constant figure at the sport's biggest national-team tournaments.

His departure also marks the end of an era for Portugal supporters, many of whom have known the national team with Ronaldo as its leading figure. The No. 7 shirt will pass to another player, while the records he leaves behind will remain a reference point for future generations.

For Portugal, the next phase will involve building a team identity without its long-serving captain and record goalscorer. For Ronaldo, the announcement closes the international chapter of a career defined by goals, longevity and two major international titles, while his club career remains separate from the decision to retire from national-team football.

The defining numbers are clear: 234 appearances, 146 goals and 23 years in Portugal colours. His international career will end after the November break, leaving a statistical and trophy-winning legacy that will shape how the country's modern football era is remembered.