The moment Cristiano Ronaldo fans had long feared has arrived, with the football superstar announcing on Thursday, November 5, that he will retire from international football at the age of 41.
In a video shared on his official X account, Ronaldo read out a statement announcing his retirement from international football, saying: “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.” Ronaldo, the all-time top goalscorer and record appearance-maker in men’s international football, made his Portugal debut in 2003 at the age of 18.
In the highlight of his international career, Ronaldo won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016 in France, although he had to leave the field during the final with an injury. His football career, which continued for 23 years with many ups and downs along the way, had more than one unforgettable moment. Here are seven of them:
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1. A star is born (2004)
At just 19, Ronaldo’s star began to rise on the international stage at Euro 2004, scoring his first senior international goal against Greece in Portugal’s opening match before heading home the opening goal in a 2-1 semi-final victory over the Netherlands.
Although Portugal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Greece in the final, the tournament marked the beginning of Ronaldo’s journey with the national team and he helped his country reach the final for the first time since 1984.
2. Sending Portugal into World Cup semi-finals (2006)
During Portugal’s 2006 World Cup quarter-final against England in Germany, Ronaldo played a decisive role in the match, which ended goalless after extra time and went to a penalty shootout.
The then 21-year-old converted Portugal’s fifth and final spot-kick, beating England’s goalkeeper Paul Robinson to seal a 3-1 shootout victory and send his country into the semi-finals. Portugal eventually finished fourth in the tournament.
3. Euro 2016 triumph (2016)
At the age of 31, Ronaldo fulfilled a lifelong ambition on July 10, 2016, when he captained Portugal to their first-ever European Championship title, beating hosts France 1-0 after extra time in the final in Paris.
The victory was particularly emotional for Ronaldo, who had to leave the pitch in tears after suffering a knee injury just 25 minutes into the match following a collision with France’s Dimitri Payet.
However, he continued to encourage and motivate his team-mates from the touchline, even offering words of encouragement to substitute Éder, who went on to score the decisive goal in the 109th minute.
4. World Cup hat-trick vs Spain (2018)
Ronaldo, fondly known among fans as CR7, delivered one of his most memorable performances on June 15, 2018, scoring a stunning hat-trick to earn Portugal a 3-3 draw against Spain in their opening Group B match at the World Cup in Russia.
Aged 33, Ronaldo also became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick at the time.
5. Breaking all-time men’s international goal record (2021)
Ronaldo made football history on September 1, 2021, when he became the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football, surpassing Iranian legend Ali Daei’s record of 109 goals.
The then 36-year-old achieved the milestone during Portugal’s 2022 World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Faro.
After missing a first-half penalty, Ronaldo rescued his side with two late headers to seal a 2-1 victory. The goals took his international tally to 111, making him the first man to move clear of Daei’s long-standing record.
The 41-year-old played 234 times for Portugal and scored 146 goals, a world record.
6. Leading Portugal to another Nations League title (2025)
Ronaldo added another international trophy to his collection on June 8, 2025, when he captained Portugal to their second UEFA Nations League title after beating Spain in a dramatic final in Munich.
The match ended 2-2 after extra time, with Ronaldo scoring Portugal’s second equaliser in the 61st minute. He was forced off with an injury towards the end of normal time but watched from the sidelines as Portugal played the penalty shootout, winning 5-3.
7. Scoring at historic 6th World Cup (2026)
At the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Ronaldo made history once again by becoming the first player ever to score in six different World Cup tournaments. At the age of 41, he scored three goals during five matches for Portugal during the tournament. against two teams:
He netted two times in Portugal’s 5-0 group-stage victory against Uzbekistan on June 23 and scored one goal in Portugal’s 2-1 victory against Croatia in the knockout stage on July 2.
However, Portugal were knocked out in the Round of 16 by eventual winners Spain and lifting the coveted trophy will now become a dream that never came true for Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Source: Khaleej Times