The key facts

  • The Portuguese Football Federation announced plans to hold a ceremonial tribute to Ronaldo, who has ended his career with the national team
  • Ronaldo is the world record holder for goals (146) and appearances (233) for a national team
  • The departure was preceded by a conflict with coach Jorge Jesus: Ronaldo missed three training sessions and left the team's camp without permission

The federation promises worthy honors

Cristiano Ronaldo has ended his career with the Portugal national team, and the country's Football Federation (FPF) announced, that it will not leave this departure 'without due honors.' The organization's statement, posted on its website, reads: 'Our federation does not intend to leave this departure without due honors. We are firmly and sincerely determined to organize and hold an event that will be a worthy tribute to the outstanding career of Cristiano Ronaldo.' This was reported by Gazeta.Ru and Life.ru.

What is known about the ceremony and the FPF president's words

There are no details about the future ceremony yet: Life.ru notes that it is premature to talk about a farewell match or a new appearance by Ronaldo on the pitch in the national team shirt. A separate statement was published by federation president Pedro Proenca, who called Ronaldo not only a footballer but also a symbol of the country, a leader and an example for several generations. 'The doors of the Portuguese Football Federation will always be open to Cristiano Ronaldo,' Proenca emphasized, thanking the forward for his support and personal communication over the past year and a half, and concluding his address with the words 'Forever our captain.' In its statement, the FPF also backed another of the Portuguese star's goals — the pursuit of his thousandth official goal, ending the message with a call to move toward the 1,000-goal mark.

What preceded the departure

Ronaldo remains the world record holder for goals and appearances for a national team: he has 146 goals in 233 official matches. Portugal's best achievement at World Cups remains fourth place in 2006, when Ronaldo was already playing for the national team. According to Gazeta.Ru, during the international break the 41-year-old forward had a conflict with national team coach Jorge Jesus: after the coach did not field him in the Nations League match against Norway and, at a press conference, did not guarantee him a place in the starting lineup for the game against Denmark, Ronaldo missed the last three training sessions, left the team's camp without permission and flew out of the airport on his private plane. Earlier, the footballer's sister said that her brother 'has changed the course of his destiny.' Thus, Ronaldo's international career is formally over, but the federation is already preparing a separate public farewell for him — the format of which has not yet been disclosed.