Ronaldo Bids Farewell to Portugal National Team After Record-Breaking Career

Portuguese football superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to his 23-year career with the Portugal national team.

The 41-year-old made the announcement on Thursday through a five-minute video message shared on social media, saying the time had come to hand over Portugal’s iconic number seven shirt to the next generation.

Ronaldo, who made his international debut in August 2003, described the decision as difficult, reflecting on the privilege and responsibility of representing his country for more than two decades.

His international career featured six World Cup appearances, a European Championship title in 2016 and a record 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal, making him the highest-scoring player in men’s international football.

His retirement announcement comes after reported disagreements with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus over his playing time, which saw the forward leave the national team’s training camp.

Although the coach later indicated that Ronaldo would be welcome back, the football star has now decided to bring his international career to a close.

The Portuguese Football Federation has expressed deep gratitude and admiration for Ronaldo’s contributions, describing him as an inspiration to generations of young footballers.

The federation also announced plans to organise a special tribute in his honour.

Ronaldo is expected to continue his club career with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr as he pursues the milestone of 1,000 career goals, having scored 985 at the time of the announcement.