Legendary Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football.

The 41-year-old Portugal legend has brought an end to his glittering 23-year career for his country after a record-breaking 146 goals in 234 caps.

Ronaldo took to social media to confirm the decision on Thursday morning, with the caption “Portugal will always be in me.”

“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt to the national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone. But, for 23 years, I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all over the world.

“Today, the time has come to carry it into 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. A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end.

“When I look back at everything I experienced with the national team, I don’t just see matches, goals, records or trophies. I see people. I see Portuguese people living abroad who, for ninety minutes, felt a little closer to home. I see millions of Portuguese people I have never met, but who became part of my life. Because, at the end of the day, football is so much bigger than a game. Football is about people.

“Throughout my career with the national team, I always pushed myself beyond my limits. I wanted to win. I wanted to be better. I wanted to make history. I always demanded the most of myself. I always wanted more. I always believed we could go further. And I gave everything I had for this shirt.

“There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that still hurt to remember. I made mistakes. I suffered. There were also moments when I couldn’t give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud. To represent Portugal.

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“Over the years, I learned a few very simple things. Goals fade. Trophies end up in museums. Records are eventually broken. But, there is something time can never erase: the place we hold in people’s hearts. If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you embrace someone, forget a worry, or feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it.

“Because being Portuguese is also about this. We suffer together, we rise together. We believe again.

“Portugal will always need young people who dare to dream. Players who never give up. New generations to believe it is possible to go where no one has ever gone before. Because a country that keeps creating new heroes is a country that never stops believing in itself.

“To my teammates, I want to say something special. Thank you for every run, for every embrace, for every argument. For every silence before stepping onto the pitch. For every victory we celebrated together. For every defeat that made us stronger. I had the privilege of being your captain, but no captain walks alone. And you will always be a part of my story.

“To all the coaches, directors, doctors, physiotherapists, kit managers, staff members, and so many others who worked alongside me throughout these years, thank you. Many of you never appeared in the photographs. But without you, none of those photographs would have been possible.

“To my family. Thank you for sharing this dream with me. Thank you for understanding the absences, the sacrifices and the moments when the national team had to take up space in my life that also belonged to you. If I came this far, it was because we always walked hand in hand.”

Ronaldo won Euro 2016 with his country, as well as two Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. Portugal exited the most recent World Cup in the round of 16, beaten by eventual champions Spain.

Having made his international debut in 2003, Ronaldo played in 12 major tournaments: six World Cups and six European Championships.