Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his intention to retire from international football, saying he will hand back Portugal’s No. 7 shirt after the November international break. The 41-year-old made the announcement in a social media post on Thursday, November 5, ending a Portugal career that began in August 2003 and produced a world-record 234 appearances and 146 goals.
What we know / What we don’t know
What we know:
- Ronaldo announced on Thursday, November 5, in a social media post, that he intends to retire from the Portugal national team after the November international break.
- He said he would “hand back the number 7 shirt” after the break, according to Flashscore, which reported the announcement.
- He leaves as the all-time leader in men’s international appearances (234) and goals (146).
- His announcement follows a month-long dispute with new Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus, after Ronaldo walked out of the national team camp on September 30.
- Portugal play Denmark on November 14 and Wales on November 17 in the UEFA Nations League.
What we don’t know:
- Whether Ronaldo will actually play in those two November games. He was named in Portugal’s preliminary squad, but there is no confirmation yet that he will travel or play.
- Whether the Portuguese Football Federation has formally accepted the retirement, or whether a farewell match will be arranged. Ronaldo had previously spoken of playing “one or more farewell matches.”
- The full text of Thursday’s five-minute social media post. Only short quotes have been reported so far.
- Whether the decision affects his club career. Ronaldo has said nothing about leaving Al-Nassr, where his contract runs to the end of the season.
Key facts
| Announcement | Thursday, November 5, 2026, in a social media post |
| Retirement takes effect | After the November international break |
| Portugal appearances | 234 (all-time men’s international record) |
| Portugal goals | 146 (all-time men’s international record) |
| Assists for Portugal | 45 |
| Age | 41 |
| Portugal debut | August 2003 |
| Major titles with Portugal | Euro 2016; UEFA Nations League 2018-19 and 2024-25 |
| World Cups played | Six, with 11 goals in 27 games |
| November fixtures | Denmark, November 14 (Braga); Wales, November 17 (away) |
| Portugal head coach | Jorge Jesus |
What Ronaldo announced
Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, in a social media post. Flashscore reported that the 41-year-old said he would “hand back the number 7 shirt” after the November international break. The Sun, citing the Press Association, also reported that Ronaldo has retired from international football.
According to iDiski Times, Ronaldo released a five-minute speech on social media, saying: “Portugal will always be in my heart.” The report said the announcement came after his dispute with the Portuguese Football Association.
The wording matters. Ronaldo announced his intention to retire, with the change taking effect after the November break — not an immediate exit. That leaves open the question of whether he plays Portugal’s two Nations League games this month, against Denmark on November 14 in Braga and Wales on November 17.
How we got here: the walkout and the apology
The retirement announcement ends a month of public tension between Ronaldo and the Portugal setup. The story began on September 30, when Ronaldo walked out of Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen on the eve of a Nations League match against Denmark.
The trigger was his treatment in the previous game. Ronaldo started Portugal’s opening 2026-27 Nations League match against Wales, but was an unused substitute in the second game, a 2-1 win over Norway in Oslo on September 27. He believed head coach Jorge Jesus had broken a promise to him about his role, and he left the camp.
On October 6, Ronaldo posted a lengthy statement on Instagram explaining his side. He apologised to the Portuguese people and accepted that the federation would decide his punishment. But he was clear on one point: he was not retiring. Sportsmole published the statement in full, including his words: “If I am physically well, playing for my club, with goals, I hope, after serving the suspension that may be applied to me, I will be available, as I have always been, to compete and win for our national team.”
In the same statement, he said he had already prepared a farewell letter after the 2026 World Cup, but the federation president had asked him to reconsider and carry on. He also said he had been promised something by the coach that was not delivered, writing: “The coach had broken his word to me.”
Thursday’s announcement reverses the position Ronaldo took on October 6. At that time he said he would be available for the November games. Now he says he will step away after the break. Neither Ronaldo nor the federation has yet explained what changed in the last month.
The punishment and the recall
After the walkout, the Portuguese Football Federation’s disciplinary council handed Ronaldo a 30-day suspension and a fine of 255 euros. The decision was confirmed on October 19, as Sportbible reported. Because the suspension was applied retrospectively from September 30, it ran out before the November international break, leaving Ronaldo available for selection again.
The federation then moved to bring him back. On October 30, it formally asked Al-Nassr to release Ronaldo, along with Joao Felix and Samu Costa, for the November window, according to Lente Desportiva. Ronaldo was named in Portugal’s preliminary squad for the games against Denmark and Wales.
But doubts remained. ESPN reported in early October that Ronaldo had privately said he would not return while Jesus remained head coach. His sister, Elma Aveiro, said in October that it was “more likely a no than a yes” when asked if he would ever represent Portugal again.
Federation president Pedro Proenca had publicly described the episode as a misunderstanding and insisted the door remained open, saying Ronaldo “will always remain part of this group whenever he is fit and ready.” Complete Sports reported Proenca’s comments on October 5. Proenca also said he would arrange a meeting between Jesus and Ronaldo before the November window. That meeting, if it happened, did not resolve the standoff.
A record-breaking international career
Whatever happens in November, Ronaldo leaves international football with numbers no other men’s player has matched. He made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 goals, both all-time records in men’s international football. He also set up 45 more goals.
He made his Portugal debut in August 2003 and played for his country for more than 23 years. He won the European Championship in 2016, Portugal’s first major trophy, and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and again in 2025. He played at six World Cup tournaments, scoring 11 goals in 27 games.
The 2026 World Cup, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, was his last. Portugal were knocked out in the round of 16 by Spain in July 2026. After that defeat, Ronaldo said he did not want to make an emotional decision about his future straight away. He chose to carry on into the Nations League under Jesus, the new head coach. Three months later, that run has ended in a dispute.
Ronaldo has also been chasing 1,000 career goals. Sportsmole reported in early October that he sat on 979. His club career continues for now: his contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr runs to the end of the season, and Thursday’s announcement said nothing about club football.
Why this matters
Ronaldo is the most famous footballer of his generation, and his Portugal career has shaped the national team for more than two decades. He captained the side to its only two major trophies and carried the team through six World Cups. For Portugal, his exit closes the era of its greatest player.
The timing also matters for the team. Portugal are in the middle of a Nations League campaign, with Denmark and Wales to play this month. Jesus must now plan without the player who has been the face of the team since 2003, and the federation must decide how to mark the end of a 234-game career — including whether Ronaldo gets the farewell match he spoke about in October.
For fans in the United States, the story lands close to home. The 2026 World Cup was played in the US, Canada and Mexico, and Ronaldo’s final tournament appearance came on American soil. His retirement is the end of a career that many American fans watched from his first World Cup in 2006 to his last in 2026. It has been a packed month for American sports fans — from the first College Football Playoff rankings to the NFL’s new flag football league and the Packers’ win over the Panthers.
What happens next
Three things are still to be confirmed. First, whether Ronaldo plays against Denmark on November 14 and Wales on November 17, or whether his final Portugal appearance was the 1-0 win over Wales earlier in the Nations League campaign. Second, whether the Portuguese Football Federation issues its own statement and arranges a farewell. Third, the full contents of Thursday’s social media post, which have so far only been reported in short quotes.
This article will be updated as the federation responds and as the November squad is confirmed.
