Cristiano Ronaldo announces the end of his career with the Portugal national team

Farewell to the number 7 shirt

Cristiano Ronaldo on November 5, 2026 officially announced the end of his career with the Portugal national team. The statement appeared on his social media: in a video and an accompanying post, the 41-year-old forward said that the day had come to return the number 7 shirt and pass it on to the next generation. “It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are made not only with the mind but also with the heart,” he noted. According to Life.ru, in his statement he also thanked his teammates, coaches, national team staff, family and fans.

The tally of 23 years with the national team

Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in August 2003. According to UEFA figures cited by Life.ru and Zamon.uz, he played 234 matches and scored 146 goals — world records in men's international football in both categories. With the national team he won the 2016 European Championship and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025, and also became the first footballer to score at six different World Cups. His final match for the national team, as euronews specifies, was the 1:0 victory over Wales in the Nations League on September 24, 2026, in Lisbon.

Conflict with the coach as the backdrop to his departure

The announcement of his departure became the culmination of a tense September. Ronaldo was left on the bench in the Nations League match against Norway, although, according to him, coach Jorge Jesus had promised to bring him on for about 30 minutes. The forward then left the national team camp before the game against Denmark, and the Portuguese Football Federation suspended him for 30 days and fined him — Gazeta.uz reports the fine was imposed, while Life.ru specifies the amount as 255 euros. Ronaldo apologized at the time and stressed that he did not intend to end his international career, and AFP reported a possible return for the November matches. At the same time, in his farewell statement the player did not name a specific reason for leaving and did not link the decision solely to the conflict — a point Life.ru notes separately.

The federation's reaction and his club career

The Portuguese Football Federation issued a statement expressing “deep gratitude and immense admiration,” calling Ronaldo, in Life.ru's wording, the “eternal captain,” and said it intended to hold a ceremony in his honor where fans could once again applaud the player; the date of the event has not yet been announced. Importantly, this concerns only his international career: Ronaldo continues to play for the Saudi club Al-Nassr, where he has been since December 2022, his contract runs until 2027, and as recently as August 2026 he only suggested that the current season might be his last. According to euronews, he is still chasing his 1,000th career goal and has 985 to his name.