Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, sparking reactions from the football world.
The Selecao captain will no longer play for the national team, having made 234 matches and scoring 146 goals in the process, making him the all-time record scorer in international football.
The 41-year-old took to social media to announce his international retirement, saying it was not an easy decision as he hands back the country’s No.7 shirt.
The 5-time Ballon d’Or winner’s decision comes after he completed a 30-day suspension that was handed down by his country’s football federation.
He was punished for walking out of the national team in the previous international window after a fallout with new manager Jorge Jesus over playing time.
Below are 7 key points from Ronaldo’s international retirement message
1. Handing Back the No. 7 Shirt
The day has come to return the national team’s number seven jersey. Ronaldo never saw it as his alone; for 23 years he had the privilege and responsibility of wearing, defending, and carrying it around the world. It is now time to pass it to the future.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven 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. Today, the time has come to pass it on to the future.”
2. A Decision of the Heart
The choice was not easy. Some decisions cannot be made with the mind alone — they must also be made with the heart. A journey that began in August 2003 and changed his life forever has now ended, per ESPN.
“It was not an easy decision. Because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart. A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end.”
3. Beyond Matches, Goals, and Trophies
Looking back, Ronaldo does not primarily see matches, goals, records, or trophies. He sees people: Portuguese living abroad who felt closer to home for 90 minutes, and millions of Portuguese he never met who still became part of his life. Football, ultimately, is about people.
“When I look back at everything I experienced with the national team, I don’t just see matches, goals, records or trophies. I see people. I see Portuguese people living abroad who, for ninety minutes, felt a little closer to home. I see millions of Portuguese people I have never met, but who became part of my life. Because, at the end of the day, football is so much bigger than a game. Football is about people.”
4. Relentless Dedication and Pride
Throughout his national-team career he constantly pushed beyond his limits, demanding more of himself in pursuit of victory, improvement, and history. There were unforgettable highs and painful lows, mistakes and suffering, yet he never gave up and never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.
“Throughout my entire career with the national team, I always pushed myself beyond my limits. I wanted to win, I wanted to be better. I wanted to make history. I always demanded the most of myself. I always wanted more. I always believed we could go further. And I gave everything I had for this shirt.
“There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that still hurt to remember. I made mistakes, I suffered. There were also moments when I couldn’t give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.”
5. What Truly Endures
Goals fade, trophies end up in museums, and records are broken. What time cannot erase is the place held in people’s hearts. If any goal brought happiness, a hug, relief from worry, or national pride, it was all worthwhile.
Being Portuguese means suffering, rising, and believing together. The country will always need dreamers and new heroes who refuse to give up.
“Over the years I learned a few very simple things: Goals fade, trophies end up in museums, records are eventually broken. But there is something that time can never erase: The place we hold in people’s hearts. If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you embrace someone, forget a worry, or feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it. Because being Portuguese is also about this.
“We suffer together, we rise together. We believe again. Portugal will always need young people who dare to dream, players who never give up. New generations who believe it is possible to go where no one has gone before. Because a country that keeps creating new heroes is a country that never stops believing in itself.”
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6. Gratitude to Those Who Shared the Journey
Special thanks go to teammates for every sprint, embrace, argument, pre-match silence, shared victory, and hardening defeat — no captain walks alone.
“To my teammates, I want to say something special: thank you for every run, for every embrace, for every argument, for every silence before stepping onto the pitch, for every victory we celebrated together and every defeat that made us stronger. I had the privilege of being your captain, but no captain walks alone and you will always be part of my story.
“To all the coaches, directors, doctors, physiotherapists, kit managers, staff members, and so many others who worked alongside me throughout these years, thank you. Many of you never appeared in the photographs, but without you none of those photographs would have been possible. To my family: Thank you for sharing this dream with me. Thank you for understanding the absences, the sacrifices, and the moments when the national team had to take up a space in my life that also belonged to you. If I came this far, it was because we always walked hand in hand.”
7. One Last Image and a Proud Farewell
The image he will carry forever is the national anthem: looking around at teammates, stands filled with families and supporters from afar, and feeling all differences dissolve into a single passion — Portugal.
He leaves the pitch with head held high, having given everything. His greatest victory was the honour of representing the best country in the world. The No. 7 shirt remains; the pride of wearing it is his forever. Portugal will always be part of him. Farewell, until we meet again.
“And to the people of Portugal, to every Portuguese person, wherever you are in the world, there is one last thing I want to tell you. There is an image I will carry with me forever. The moment our national anthem begins, I look around; I see my teammates, I see the stands, I see children, mothers, fathers and grandparents, I see Portuguese people who have travelled so far just to be there. And for those few minutes, all our differences disappear.
“There are no clubs, there are no colours, there are no classes, there are no professions, there are no opinions, there is only one passion: Portugal. That is the feeling I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Today, my journey on the pitch with the national team comes to an end. I will leave with my head held high, proud of the path I have taken, and knowing that I gave everything I had for Portugal. But I will never stop being one of you.
“I will keep suffering, cheering and celebrating every Portuguese victory with a siuuuuu. I spent my life working to become the best player in the world. Today, I realise that my greatest victory was earning the honour of representing the best country in the world. Thank you for these 23 years, thank you for believing in me, thank you for allowing me to live a dream that began when I was just a little boy in Madeira running after a football. The number seven shirt will remain, the pride of having worn it will be mine forever. Portugal will always be a part of me. Farewell, until we meet again.”
National team door shut
Yankee Scores earlier reported that Cristiano Ronaldo said he would not retire from international football, but the door of the national team remains shut as long as Jorge Jesus remains the coach.
The former Juventus of Italy striker is upset with Jesus for not offering an apology as planned during his press conference.
