Cristiano Ronaldo's statement in full as he retires from international football

Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football at the age of 41, hanging up his boots after a legendary career with Portugal.

Ronaldo played for Portugal for 23 years, scoring a ludicrous 146 goals in 234 games to become international football’s all-time top scorer, and captained his country to their first major title when they triumphed at Euro 2016.

He also lifted Nations League crowns in 2019 and 2025, although his time on the international stage ended in acrimony after he walked out of Portugal camp last month after being left as an unused substitute in a match against Norway – claiming new manager Jorge Jesus twice broke promises to him.

Cristiano Ronaldo retires after a legendary career with Portugal (Reuters)

The Portuguese FA handed Ronaldo a 30-day suspension, which ran out before the November international break, and fined him a paltry €255 (£214.88) but he has now stepped away from the national side more than 23 years after making his debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003.

He announced his decision in a video on Instagram and will now continue to strive for his stated target of 1,000 career goals at club side Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, needing just 15 more to reach the remarkable milestone. Here’s everything Ronaldo had to say about his retirement:

Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement in full

“The day has come back for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone. But for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world.

“Today, the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision. Because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart.

“A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end. When I look back at everything with the national team, I don’t just see the matches, goals, records or trophies.

“I see people. I see the Portuguese people living abroad who, for 90 minutes, felt a little closer to home. I see millions of Portuguese people I have never met but who became part of my life. Because at the end of the day, football is so much bigger than a game. Football is about people.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first international tournament was Euro 2004 (Getty Images)

“Throughout my entire career with the national team I always pushed myself beyond my limits. I wanted to win, I wanted to be better, I wanted to make history. I always demanded the most of myself. I always wanted more. I always believed we could go further. And I gave everything I had for this shirt.

“There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that still hurt to remember.

“I made mistakes. I suffered. There were also moments when I couldn’t give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.

“Over the years, I learned a few very simple things: Goals fade. Trophies end up in museums. Records are eventually broken. But there is something that time can never erase: the place we hold in people’s hearts. If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you embrace someone, forget a worry, or feel proud of your country, then it was all worth it. Because being Portuguese is also about this. We suffer together. We rise together. We believe again.

“Portugal will always need young people who dare to dream. Players who never give up. New generations who believe it is possible to go where no one has gone before. Because a country that keeps creating new heroes is a country that never stops believing in itself.”