Cristiano Ronaldo announces international retirement after 230 caps and 146 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo will no longer wear the Portugal shirt. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner announced on Thursday, in a video posted on his social media, that he was ending his international career, twenty-three years after his first cap on August 20, 2003 against Kazakhstan.

In a solemn five-minute message, accompanied by images tracing his journey from his childhood in Madeira, Ronaldo addressed his words directly to the Portuguese people. “The day has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for twenty-three years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it,” he said, before adding: “It is now time to pass it on to future generations. It has not been an easy decision.”

The 39-year-old striker leaves the Seleção with statistics unmatched in men’s football: 146 goals in 230 caps, two absolute world records. Among the titles mentioned in his video, he cited Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League 2018-2019 as the pinnacles of an extraordinary collective adventure.

However, the end of this story was not without turbulence. Unhappy with the way coach Jorge Jesus had managed him during the September gathering, Ronaldo left the squad before the end of the camp and returned home. Portuguese officials attempted to convince him to return, without success.

His departure comes just days after that of Lionel Messi, who also announced his international retirement, marking the end of an era for world football. The two men dominated the international stage for more than fifteen years, accumulating records and titles with their respective national teams.

Ronaldo concluded his message with a tribute to supporters: “I realize today that my greatest victory has been to have the honor of representing the best country in the world. Portugal will always be a part of me.”