Cristiano Ronaldo will not play for Portugal again. The 41-year-old forward confirmed his retirement on Thursday in a video posted to his Instagram account, closing a national-team career that began in August 2003.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, because some decisions aren’t made only with the head, they are also made with the heart,” Ronaldo said in the video, according to Spanish daily El Español. He added that for 23 years he had the privilege and responsibility of wearing the shirt, and that he saw not only matches, goals, records or trophies, but people.
He signed off with a line in Portuguese, “Portugal estará sempre em mim”, Portugal will always be in me, according to Russian broadcaster RT, which published the post in full.
Ronaldo leaves with 234 caps and 146 international goals, both national records, and a European Championship won in 2016.
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A benching, a walkout, and then silence
The retirement came five weeks after Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Denmark, two days after he was an unused substitute in a 2-1 Nations League win over Norway on 28 September. He had not trained with the squad since.
“Following the national team manager’s press conference, and after a conversation with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram at the time, according to Sky Sports. He promised then that he would in due course tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons behind his departure.
He has not done so yet.
Jesus gave no ground
Jorge Jesus was appointed Portugal head coach after the team’s exit from the 2026 World Cup, on a four-year deal running until 2030. He took charge of a squad still led by Ronaldo, and his first serious selection call was the one that provoked the walkout.
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Asked about the October bust-up, Jesus flatly denied there was any rift.
“It seems like there was an issue between us, but there was no issue. I’m the one who makes the decisions and everybody knows that,” he told reporters, Sky Sports reported, adding that no player would ever make a decision for him.
A 23-year career ends without a farewell match
Portugal’s World Cup in North America was Ronaldo’s last tournament. Spain eliminated them 1-0 in the Round of 16 in Dallas on 6 July, Mikel Merino scoring late in extra time. Ronaldo walked a lap of the pitch in tears after the final whistle. He had already said that tournament would be his last at a World Cup.
What he had not said was that he would never pull on the shirt again. Thursday’s video closed that door.
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The next Portugal squad list is due for the Nations League quarter-finals in March 2027. Jorge Jesus will name it without Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time in a generation.
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