Cristiano Ronaldo has brought an end to his international career with Portugal. The 41-year-old forward announced on Thursday that he was stepping away from the national team after 23 years, closing one of the longest and most decorated chapters in the history of the global game.
A career that started in 2003
Ronaldo made his debut on 20 August 2003, aged 18, in a friendly win by a single goal against Kazakhstan. His first international goal came nine months later, on 12 June 2004, in a 2-1 defeat to Greece in the opening match of the European Championship, which was also his first major tournament.
Trophies and tournament milestones
The honours came over time. Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in February 2007, and he scored his first World Cup goal in 2006, from a penalty against Iran. A decade later, in the 2016 European Championship final, he was forced off injured early on, yet Portugal still beat France 1-0 after extra time to win the first major title of his international career. Portugal then lifted the first Nations League in 2019, with Ronaldo playing a part in the final, and won a second Nations League in 2025, when he scored in the 2-2 draw with Spain before his side prevailed on penalties.
Records that stand out
Ronaldo’s numbers are remarkable. He became Portugal’s record appearance-maker in 2016 and reached 200 international matches in 2023, the first player in men’s football to do so. He also overtook Ali Daei’s long-standing mark for men’s international goals in 2021, is the all-time leading scorer in the European Championship, and was the first man to score at five World Cups. At the 2026 World Cup, he scored twice against Uzbekistan and in the same match passed Eusébio as Portugal’s top scorer at the tournament, with 10 goals.
A final chapter marked by controversy
His exit was not without friction. On 30 September 2026 he left the national team’s training camp after a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus. The Portuguese federation responded in October by suspending him for 30 days and fining him 255 euros for leaving the camp.
The final tally
In announcing his international retirement, Ronaldo leaves behind 234 appearances and 146 goals for Portugal, figures that stand as men’s world records. Whatever the circumstances of his departure, few players have shaped a national team’s history in the way he has.
Source: www.liderendeportes.com
