Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From Portugal Duty. His Club Career Continues.
Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football after 23 years, 234 caps and 146 goals for Portugal. His club career continues.
Summary
Cristiano Ronaldo announced on 5 November 2026 that he is retiring from international football after 23 years with Portugal, ending a career of 234 caps and 146 goals. The decision follows a fall-out with coach Jorge Jesus and a 30-day suspension imposed by the Portuguese federation. He will keep playing for Al Nassr and is still chasing his 1,000th career goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo has ended his international career. On Thursday 5 November 2026, the 41-year-old announced in a long video on Instagram that he is retiring from Portugal duty after 23 years, closing the most decorated chapter in the country's football history.
"The day has come to hand back the number seven shirt of the national team that belongs to us all," he said, adding that he never felt the shirt was exclusively his.
What Ronaldo said
The message was personal rather than procedural. He described a journey that began in August 2003 and spoke about the people he had met through the shirt, including emigrant Portuguese communities who felt closer to home for 90 minutes at a time. He acknowledged defeats that were still hard to recall and moments when he could not give supporters what they wanted, but said he never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.
He closed by looking forward, saying Portugal will always need young people who dream and new generations who believe they can reach places no one has reached before.
Why now: the row with Jorge Jesus
The announcement did not come out of nowhere. It follows a fall-out with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, his former Al Nassr manager, over playing time.
According to ESPN, Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 win at Norway, the first time that had happened in 18 years for his country. He then walked out of the squad during the same international window. The Portuguese federation responded in October with a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine.
Ronaldo apologised to his teammates and said he wanted to keep playing for Portugal. He did not apologise to Jesus, whom he accused of breaking promises about his role. The suspension had only just ended when he made his announcement, one day before Jesus was due to name his squad for the Nations League games against Denmark and Wales.
His international career in numbers
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Caps | 234 (men's international record) |
| Goals | 146 (men's international record) |
| Debut | August 2003 |
| Major trophies | Euro 2016, UEFA Nations League 2019 and 2025 |
| World Cups played | Six, the latest this summer |
| Missing from the CV | The World Cup |
How Portugal responded
The Portuguese Football Federation issued a statement thanking him for an "absolutely extraordinary" career and describing him as an inspiring leader and the ultimate symbol of the national team's spirit. It said it intends to organise a tribute worthy of his career, with details to come, and ended with a nod to his next target: "Let's go for goal number 1,000!!!"
Former clubs including Manchester United, Sporting CP and Juventus also paid tribute.
The club career goes on
Retiring from Portugal does not mean Ronaldo is hanging up his boots. He will continue at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and is expected to finish his club career at the end of this season, according to ESPN. He currently sits on 985 career goals and is still pursuing 1,000.
That chase matters beyond the statistics. With international games gone, every remaining goal will have to come in club football, which makes the rest of this season a countdown of sorts.
A Gulf connection
Ronaldo's move to the Saudi Pro League also brought him regularly into the Gulf's sporting calendar. In December 2025, he collected the Best Middle East Player award at the Globe Soccer Awards, held at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, his third win in that category in as many years since it was introduced. For fans in the UAE, the retirement is a farewell to the national-team Ronaldo, not to the one they can still watch in the region.
A generation's farewell
ESPN notes that Ronaldo retires less than a month after his long-time rival Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina. The two players defined an era of football, and within weeks both have left the international stage.
Ronaldo's own words suggest how he would like it remembered. Goals come and go, he said, trophies end up in museums and records are eventually broken, but the place we hold in people's hearts is something time cannot erase.
Sources: ESPN (5 November 2026), Gulf News and Khaleej Times reporting on the Globe Soccer Awards, Portuguese Football Federation statement as quoted by ESPN.
Frequently asked questions
No. He has retired from international football only. He is expected to keep playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia until the end of this season.
He scored 146 goals in 234 appearances, making him the leading men's international goalscorer and appearance maker.
He announced it after a fall-out with coach Jorge Jesus over playing time and a 30-day suspension for walking out of camp. In his video message he described it as a decision made with the heart as well as the head.
He captained Portugal to Euro 2016 and to the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. The World Cup is the one major trophy missing from his record.
Yes. The Portuguese Football Federation said it intends to organise a fitting tribute at a later date, though no date has been announced.