Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, 5 November 2026, at age 41
This brings an end to a 23-year Portugal career with 234 caps and 146 goals, both all-time men’s world records, plus 46 assists (192 goal involvements).
The 41-year-old forward confirmed the decision in a video message in which he read a letter.
“Portugal will always be in my heart,” he stated.
Ronaldo made his senior international debut on August 20, 2003, against Kazakhstan.
He made his final appearance on September 24, 2026, when Portugal defeated Wales 1-0 in a UEFA Nations League match.
Portugal Career Statistics
Cristiano Ronaldo made 234 appearances for Portugal between 2003 and 2026, scoring 146 goals and providing 46 assists across international competitions and friendly matches.
His goals came in seven different categories of international football, with World Cup qualifiers and European Championship qualifiers accounting for the largest share.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| FIFA World Cup | 27 | 11 | 2 |
| UEFA European Championship | 30 | 14 | 8 |
| World Cup qualifiers | 52 | 41 | 14 |
| Euro qualifiers | 44 | 41 | 6 |
| UEFA Nations League | 21 | 15 | 3 |
| FIFA Confederations Cup | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| International friendlies | 56 | 22 | 12 |
| Total | 234 | 146 | 46 |
The figures give Ronaldo an average of approximately 0.62 goals per international appearance.
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His 192 combined goals and assists average about 0.82 goal involvements per match.
Key Records and Notes
Ronaldo retires as the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer (ahead of Lionel Messi) and the most-capped player in the history of men’s international football.
He is also Portugal’s record appearance-maker and top scorer, with Pauleta ranks second with 47 goals.
He holds the European Championship scoring record with 14 goals in a record 30 appearances, remains the only player to have scored at five different Euros, and became the first to score at six World Cups.
Across his Portugal career, he recorded 10 international hat-tricks (including two four-goal hauls) and scored more times against Luxembourg (11) than any other opponent.
He was also booked 32 times and sent off once for Portugal.
His sole red card came in November 2025, for an elbow on Dara O’Shea during a World Cup qualifier in Dublin.
Major trophies won with Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo lifted three major senior international titles during his 23-year career with the Seleção.
The breakthrough came at UEFA Euro 2016.
Despite being forced off injured early in the final against host nation France, Ronaldo remained an inspirational presence on the touchline as Éder’s extra-time goal secured a 1-0 victory.
As captain, he lifted the Henri Delaunay Trophy, ending decades of near-misses and giving Portugal their first major international title.
Three years later, Portugal hosted and won the inaugural UEFA Nations League, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final in Porto.
Ronaldo again led the side to glory.
The third and final piece of silverware arrived in 2025. In the Nations League final against Spain in Munich, Ronaldo scored a crucial equaliser in a 2-2 draw after extra time.
Portugal then prevailed 5-3 in the penalty shootout to become the first team to win the competition twice.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Final Chapter
The final months of Ronaldo’s Portugal career were overshadowed by a high-profile rift with new head coach Jorge Jesus.
After Portugal’s exit from the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo had prepared a farewell message and considered stepping away.
Federation president Pedro Proença persuaded him to continue, and Jesus, who had previously coached him at Al-Nassr, was appointed.
In Jesus’s first international window, Ronaldo started the Nations League match against Wales on 24 September 2026, a 1-0 win that would prove to be his last appearance.
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He was substituted after 67 minutes.
Three days later against Norway, he remained an unused substitute, having been told he would feature for around half an hour.
He warmed up from half-time but was never introduced, walking straight down the tunnel at full-time without acknowledging the fans.
When Jesus later confirmed Ronaldo would also not start against Denmark and offered a public explanation that clashed with what the player believed had been privately agreed, Ronaldo left the training camp.
In a lengthy statement, he accused the coach of an “absolute breach of trust” for breaking his word twice, while apologising to teammates and supporters and insisting he was not retiring. The Portuguese Football Federation imposed a 30-day suspension and a modest fine.
Jesus publicly left the door open for a return, and the federation included Ronaldo in a preliminary November squad. The relationship, however, never recovered.
On 5 November 2026, one day before the final squad announcement and with the suspension served, Ronaldo released a video message in which he read a letter confirming his retirement from international football.
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