Cristiano Ronaldo announced Thursday that he is retiring from international soccer, ending a 23-year run with Portugal’s national team that included an appearance in six World Cups, a European Championship title and the men’s all-time international scoring record.
The 41-year-old forward made the announcement in a lengthy video message posted to social media.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said. “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. 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.”
Ronaldo’s final appearance for Portugal came on Sept. 24 in a 1-0 win over Wales in the Nations League. His exit came after a dispute with national team coach Jorge Jesus, who kept him on the bench for the following match and indicated he would not start Ronaldo in the next one. Ronaldo responded by leaving the team’s training camp. Jesus later said Ronaldo would be welcome to return and that the decision was his to make.
The retirement comes a month after longtime rival Lionel Messi concluded his own international career with Argentina in a widely anticipated farewell match.
The Portuguese soccer federation issued a statement expressing what it called “deep gratitude and immense admiration” for Ronaldo’s contributions to the national team.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has raised Portugal’s profile and inspired generations of young people who dream of following in his footsteps; for many of us, he is the greatest player of all time!” the federation said.
The federation said it plans to organize a tribute so fans and the country can “one more time applaud and celebrate a player who has given us so much.”
Ronaldo will continue playing at the club level and is expected to finish his career this season with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He currently has 985 career goals as he chases the 1,000-goal milestone. Of his total, a record 146 goals came in 234 appearances for Portugal.
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