Cristiano Ronaldo broadcasts retirement with heartfelt farewell video after bitter row
Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football after 23 years of playing for Portugal in a social media statement following a sour falling out
Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirment from international football
Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football in a social media video. The 41-year-old has ended 23 years with Portugal following a major public fallout with manager Jorge Jesus.
Ronaldo took to social media on the eve of the upcoming international break to announce he would not represent his country again. The legendary forward made 234 caps for Portugal, scoring 146 goals, and won the Euros in 2016, the country’s first major international football trophy, and the UEFA Nations League twice in 2018/19 and 2024/25.
He last represented Portugal in the September international break, where he had a major public fallout with manager Jorge Jesus after being left as an unused substitute during the 2-1 win over Norway.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2016 Euros(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
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The Al-Nassr striker accused Jesus of breaking his word and walked out of the training camp early. A bitter public apology saga followed, with Ronaldo handed a 30-day suspension by the FPF. His ban expired ahead of November’s international break, but the Manchester United and Real Madrid icon has decided to call it a day on the international scene.
In a social media post, he said: ”To the Portuguese people, 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.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Jesus had a bitter feud(Image: JOSE SENA GOULAO/EPA/Shutterstock)
”Today, the time has come to pass it on to the future. 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. 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.”
He continued: ”I see Portuguese people living abroad who, for 90 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.
Ronaldo lifted the Nations League for a second time in 2025(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
”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.
Ronaldo’s first major tournament was Euro 2004
”I made mistakes. I suffered. There were also moments when I couldn’t give the Portuguese people what they desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.
”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.”
