Cristiano Ronaldo Retiring From Portugal Team: What His Announcement Really Means

A career with Portugal ends

Ronaldo announced his international retirement in a Nov. 5 Instagram video, ending a journey that began in August 2003. He said the decision was difficult and described it as one made with both his mind and his heart.

He said the No. 7 shirt belonged to more than him and thanked Portuguese supporters for sharing his career. Ronaldo has scored 146 goals in 234 matches, a men’s global record. His international career is ending, but Ronaldo will keep playing club soccer with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Thanks to teammates and staff

Ronaldo thanked his Portugal teammates, including Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Rúben Dias. He recalled shared victories and defeats, and said captaining the team had been a privilege.

He also recognized staff members who rarely appeared in photographs, saying their work made those moments possible. Earlier this season, Ronaldo and head coach Jorge Jesus had a falling out over playing time; Ronaldo was suspended for 30 days and fined $285 after leaving Portugal’s training camp.

Portugal’s team praised his career and legacy in a Nov. 5 statement, saying a fitting tribute would follow. It called him an inspiration to generations of young people.

Family and lasting legacy

Ronaldo thanked his wife, Georgina Rodríguez, and their children: 9-year-old twins Eva and Mateo, Alana, 8, and Bella, 4. He said their understanding of his absences and sacrifices helped him reach this point.

Reflecting on what he would carry beyond soccer, Ronaldo said records can be broken and trophies placed in museums, but the place people hold in others’ hearts remains. He said the national team’s meaning extended beyond matches and results.