Cristiano Ronaldo: Time Has Come to Return the Number '7' Jersey to the National Team - Sarmad
Press coverage 3 newspapers covered this event: Al-Rai · Al-Qabas · Sarmad →
Cristiano Ronaldo announces his retirement from international football after a career full of achievements with Portugal.
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
Portugal national football team captain Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a career spanning nearly 23 years with his country’s national team.
Ronaldo, 41, said in a video message posted on his official social media accounts that the decision “was not easy,” adding that the time had come to return the number 7 jersey to the national team, and affirming that he had enjoyed the honor and responsibility of wearing and defending it for nearly 23 years.
He added that he was ending a journey that began in August 2003 and had forever changed his life, noting that throughout his tenure with the national team he had sought to push beyond limits, achieve victory, make history, and aspire to more, while emphasizing that he had given everything for the national team jersey.
This move marks the end of one of the longest international careers in football history. Ronaldo played 234 matches for Portugal since his debut and scored 147 goals, holding the records for most appearances and most goals scored by a male player at the international level, according to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
Ronaldo led the Portuguese national team to three titles: the UEFA Euro 2016 championship, as well as two UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.
The announcement comes after a period of tension within the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo left the team’s training camp on September 30 ahead of two matches against Denmark and Norway, following a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus over his role in the squad. He later apologized and was handed a 30-day suspension and fined.
