Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal national team

In the video message, Ronaldo said he was returning to the national team the number seven shirt he had worn for 23 years, calling it an honour and a responsibility for himself. "It's time to pass it on to the future. It wasn't an easy decision," he added. In the caption to the post, the footballer wrote: "Portugal will forever remain inside me."

Ronaldo played for Portugal for the first time on August 20, 2003, at the age of 18: he came on as a substitute in the second half of a friendly match against Kazakhstan, which ended in a 1-0 victory. In total, he has 234 caps for the national team, 146 goals scored and 45 assists. With the squad, he won the 2016 European Championship and the UEFA Nations League twice — in the 2018/2019 and 2024/2025 seasons.

The announcement was preceded by a conflict with the national team's head coach, Jorge Jesus. In September, the coach did not field Ronaldo in a match against Norway, and a few days later the forward left the team camp without permission ahead of a game against Denmark. In October, the Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Football Federation suspended him for 30 days and fined him. According to Kursiv Uzbekistan, the fine amounted to 255 euros; the publication also writes that at the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo's last with the national team, he played against Uzbekistan.

The footballer is continuing his club career: he has been playing for Saudi club Al-Nassr since December 2022.