The 41-year-old leaves with men's records for caps and goals after a bitter fallout with coach Jorge Jesus.

Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from Portugal duty, ending a 23-year international career that rewrote the record books. In an Instagram video on Thursday, the Al-Nassr forward said it was time to "hand back the number 7 shirt," BBC Sport reported.

Ronaldo finishes with 234 caps and 146 goals — both men's all-time international records — after a debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He captained Portugal to Euro 2016 and Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025, and became the first man to score at six World Cups. His last tournament ended with a last-16 loss to eventual champions Spain at the 2026 World Cup.

The farewell followed a public rift with new coach Jorge Jesus. After being left unused against Norway and told he would not start against Denmark, Ronaldo walked out of camp in September. The Portuguese Football Federation later fined and suspended him for 30 days. According to Reuters, Jesus said he had asked Ronaldo to stay but would accept the decision.

Ronaldo will keep playing at club level with Al-Nassr and is chasing his 1,000th career goal. The federation pledged a formal tribute so fans can celebrate his career properly.

Why it matters

One of football's defining careers has closed on the international stage — without a stadium send-off, and with the World Cup still missing from his collection. Portugal now rebuilds without its talisman.