Cristiano Ronaldo retires from international football as the legendary forward officially ends his historic 23-year journey with the Portugal national team, breaking the news through an emotional video shared on his official X account.
In the video, he is seen reading his farewell message in his native Portuguese language, which he captioned, “Portugal will always be in me.”
Portugal estará sempre em mim https://t.co/dnFj51rxmh
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 5, 2026
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner leaves the national side as the men’s all-time record holder with 234 appearances and 146 goals. He captained Portugal to glory at Euro 2016 and led the team to two UEFA Nations League titles.
Ronaldo’s final match for Portugal came in September against Wales. His decision follows a recent suspension amid a reported dispute with national team coach Jorge Jesus.
In the heartfelt message, he reflected on the goals that brought joy and emotion to fans over the years and expressed deep gratitude to his teammates, family and supporters who stood by him throughout his international journey.
The Portuguese Football Federation has confirmed plans to organise a special farewell for the iconic forward. Ronaldo will continue his club career with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he remains focused on reaching his 1,000th career club goal.
The world football governing body, FIFA, his former clubs, and colleagues have congratulated him with messages accompanied by memorable videos and pictures on his incredible national team career.
The retirement marks the close of an era for Portuguese football and for one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
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