Cristiano Ronaldo announces his international retirement

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, announced on Thursday evening that he is retiring from international football with Portugal, in a video posted on his official social media account, saying: "Today, my journey with the national team comes to an end," according to Hespress, citing AFP. Ronaldo thus closes an international career that began in 2003, during which he played 234 matches and scored 146 goals for Portugal, a world record for caps and goals by a national team player.

The decision comes after weeks of tension between Ronaldo and Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, after the player left the national team's camp on 30 September following his exclusion from a UEFA Nations League match against Norway. The crisis escalated gradually: Portugal finished first in its group on 4 October, Ronaldo opened the door to a return on 6 October, before being provisionally suspended on 10 October, then handed a final 30-day suspension and a 255-euro fine on 19 October, according to Le Matin. Neither the Portuguese federation nor coach Jesus had issued an official comment on the retirement announcement at the time of writing.

Captain of Portugal and wearer of the number 7 shirt since his international debut, Ronaldo led his country to its first major continental title by winning Euro 2016, before lifting the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He also played in six World Cups with the Portuguese national team. He currently plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr. According to Alyaoum24, the retirement takes effect after the current November international break ends, meaning the upcoming matches will be the Portuguese star's last in the national team shirt. The announcement drew widespread reaction, with most comments praising Ronaldo's career while some criticized how the Portuguese federation handled his case in recent weeks, according to Hespress.