Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal national team

Cristiano Ronaldo's international soccer career is over.

The 41-year-old star striker announced Thursday that he would be ending his time with the Portuguese men's national team. Ronaldo's retirement comes after a 30-day suspension following his dispute with new national team coach Jorge Jesus.

"The day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team. 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," Ronaldo said in a five-minute retirement video.

Ronaldo's international career ends with 146 goals in 234 games across his 23-year career. He joined Lionel Messi as the only men to appear in six World Cups when they took the field during the 2026 tournament in the United States.

Ronaldo's last appearance came on Sept. 24 when he appeared in a Nations League game.

His club playing career continues in the Saudi Pro Leauge with Al Nassr. He made a big-dollar move to Saudi Arabia during the 2022-23 season after a high-profile falling out with Manchester United in his second stint with the club. Ronaldo, who had played at Real Madrid and Juventus between his times at United, returned to the club in 2021.

Jesus was appointed to be Portugal's manager following the team's ouster in the 2026 World Cup. A former coach of Ronaldo's at Al Nassr, Jesus started to look to a Portugal national team future that did not include Ronaldo in a significant role.

After Ronaldo was on the bench for a Sept. 27 Nations League game against Norway, he claimed on social media that Jesus broke multiple promises. He wrote a five-page letter with numerous claims about Jesus. In it, he even said he had talking points he wanted Jesus to share at a news conference about Ronaldo's importance to the national team.

The public conflict led to the 30-day suspension and Jesus said that the door was still open for a Ronaldo return to the national team.

The friction with Jesus highlighted the issue that Portugal has been dealing with for many seasons. Ronaldo, the team's captain, had become a liability on the pitch at times. No longer the physical force he once was, there were times where Portugal's attacking play would look smoother and more coherent without him on the field.

Ronaldo scored twice in a 5-0 win over an overpowered Uzbekistan in the group stage and had a penalty against Croatia during the World Cup. But Portugals' Round of 32 comeback against the Croatians really kicked into gear when Ronaldo was removed for Ruben Neves in the 81st minute. Thirteen minutes later, Gonçalo Ramos, the man who had moved into Ronaldo's striker position, scored the game-winning goal for Portugal to advance.

Portugal had been favored to win Group K, but draws against Colombia and DR Congo in its opener meant that Messi and Ronaldo wouldn't meet on the pitch for the final time.

Had both Argentina and Portugal finished first in their groups, they would have been on a collision course to meet in the quarterfinals. Instead, since Portugal finished second, they were on opposite sides of the bracket and Portugal lost to eventual World Cup champion Spain in the Round of 16.

Ronaldo retires as the career goals leader

After Messi's retirement from international soccer earlier this year, the two global superstars end their careers at the top of the all-time international goals list.

Ronaldo's 146 goals are 20 more than Messi and they came in 26 more appearances. Ronaldo ends his Portugal career with a goal rate of 0.62 per game. Messi's rate is 0.61.

It's another close data point in a decades-long comparison between the players, though Messi's late-career surge shifted the debate in his favor. Argentina won the 2022 World Cup and made the final this summer.

Though Portugal never came close to winning the World Cup during Ronaldo's tenure, it won the Euros in 2016 and has added Nations League titles in 2016 and 2025.

The Euro 2016 title came two years after Portugal crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage. Grouped with Ghana, the United States and Germany in the Group of Death, Portugal lost to Germany, tied the U.S. and beat Ghana. However, the USMNT advanced to the Round of 16 on goal differential ahead of Portugal.

Portugal hosted the Euros as it won its first major international tournament. Ronaldo was forced to leave the final against France after a hard tackle, but Eder's goal in extra time was enough for a 1-0 win. Ronaldo was given the Silver Boot with three goals and three assists during the tournament.