Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal duty after record-breaking career
Portugal's 41-year-old captain ends a 23-year international career with 234 caps and 146 goals, both all-time records.
At a glance
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has retired from international football after 23 years with Portugal.
- He holds all-time records for men's international appearances (234) and goals (146).
- Ronaldo captained Portugal to Euro 2016 and Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.
Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football, ending a 23-year career with Portugal in which the 41-year-old set all-time records for appearances and goals.
Ronaldo played 234 times for Portugal and scored 146 goals, according to Al Jazeera. Both are all-time international records. He also scored for Portugal in 23 consecutive calendar years from 2004 to 2026.
From debut to record caps
Ronaldo made his senior Portugal debut at 18 in a friendly against Kazakhstan, coming on at half-time for Luis Figo. He wore the number 17 shirt because Figo had the number 7. After Figo retired in 2006, Ronaldo took the number 7 full-time and made it part of his CR7 brand.
His last Portugal appearance was on September 24 in a 1-0 win over Wales, when he was substituted in the 67th minute. Al Jazeera reports that coach Jorge Jesus then left him on the bench in the following match, leading to a falling out and his departure from national duty. He was suspended for 30 days and fined 255 euros ($285).
Portugal's rise
Ronaldo captained Portugal to their first major title at Euro 2016, then to Nations League trophies in 2019 and 2025. Under him, Portugal qualified for every World Cup; before his arrival, they had reached the tournament only in 1966, 1986 and 2002. At the European Championship, Portugal had appeared only in 1984, 1996 and 2000 before Ronaldo, but qualified for every edition after he arrived.
He became the first player to reach 200 men's international appearances, doing so against Iceland in a 2024 UEFA Euro qualifying match. He was also the first player to score 100 international goals for a European national team. He was the first to score 10 international hat-tricks, a record Lionel Messi later eclipsed with 11 during Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria at the World Cup.
World Cup and Euro records
Ronaldo is Portugal's top World Cup scorer with 11 goals in 27 tournament games. Last summer he became the first player to both play and score in six different World Cups, starting with his debut against Angola in 2006 and his first goal against Iran. His final World Cup goal was a penalty against Croatia in the round of 32 in 2026. He also became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match, at 41 years and 147 days.
At the European Championship, he holds records for most tournaments played (6), most appearances (30) and most goals (14).
Al Jazeera notes that Portugal, who top Nations League Group A4, host second-placed Denmark on November 14 in Braga before visiting Wales in their final two group games. Ronaldo's next club match with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League is on November 20 against Al-Qadsiah.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo score for Portugal?
- Ronaldo scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal, both all-time international records. He scored for Portugal in 23 consecutive calendar years from 2004 to 2026.
- What records does Cristiano Ronaldo hold?
- He holds records for most men's international caps (234) and goals (146), most European Championship appearances (30) and goals (14), and most World Cup goals for Portugal (11).
- Why did Cristiano Ronaldo leave international duty?
- Al Jazeera reports that after being left on the bench by coach Jorge Jesus, a falling out led to his departure from national duty, a 30-day suspension and a 255 euro ($285) fine. He has now announced his retirement.
