Football’s most stubborn competitor, Cristiano Ronaldo, has finally lost the one argument he could never win: the one with the calendar, and with a coach who wouldn’t bend. A career built on refusing to go quietly has ended with a bang, and with an unmistakable sense that it did not have to end like this.
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“It was not an easy decision, because there are decisions that are not made solely with the head; they are also made with the heart,” Cristiano Ronaldo said on Thursday, according to ESPN, as he announced his retirement from international football.
The 41-year-old Al Nassr forward, whose Portugal journey began in August 2003, confirmed his exit in a lengthy Instagram video. He leaves as the men’s all-time leader in international goals and appearances, with 146 goals in 234 matches. The announcement came a day before coach Jorge Jesus was due to name his squad for the Nations League games against Denmark and Wales.
Ronaldo framed the decision as a handover rather than a departure. He mentioned, “To the Portuguese people, the day has come to hand back the number seven shirt of the national team that belongs to us all. I never felt it was exclusively mine.
“But for 23 years, I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and taking it with me to stadiums all over the world. Today, the time has come to hand it over to the future.”
The tone was warm, but the backstory was not:
Ronaldo’s retirement comes after a public dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, who had previously coached him at club level. The disagreement began when Ronaldo was left on the bench during Portugal’s win over Norway. He had spent much of the second half warming up but was never brought onto the field. Ronaldo claimed Jesus had promised him 30 minutes of playing time, but later went back on his word.
The two later met to settle their differences. Cristiano Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed to tell the media that he had never demanded playing time and that making him warm up without bringing him on was a mistake. However, Ronaldo felt Jesus said something completely different during the press conference. He then decided to leave the team camp.
Jesus denied ever making such an agreement with Ronaldo. The Portugal captain later apologized to his teammates and fans for leaving camp, but he did not apologize to the coach. He also asked the Portuguese Football Federation to punish him. The federation handed him a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine. The suspension has since ended, but Ronaldo announced his retirement just days later.
The plot twist:
In his October statement, Ronaldo revealed that he had written a farewell letter to the Portuguese people after the World Cup. However, federation president Pedro Proença changed his mind during their flight home from North America. Proença also asked Ronaldo what he thought about appointing Jesus as Portugal’s coach. Ronaldo said he supported the decision. The coach he once backed is now the same man he had a public disagreement with.
Jorge Jesus had not publicly commented on Ronaldo’s retirement at the time of writing. After Ronaldo left the national team camp, Jesus had said that the door was still open for his return. However, not all Portuguese fans supported the player. Opinion polls in Portugal showed that most fans backed Jesus. Ronaldo also faced questions about his influence in choosing the coach.
Despite the controversy, Ronaldo’s achievements for Portugal are difficult to match. He led his country to the Euro 2016 title and won the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. This summer’s World Cup was his sixth appearance in the tournament. However, winning the World Cup remains the one major trophy missing from his international career.
The Portuguese Football Federation thanked Ronaldo for his extraordinary career and promised to organise a special farewell for him in the future. It also ended its message with a reference to his next big target: “Let’s go for goal number 1,000!!!”
Ronaldo has scored 985 goals in his career so far. He is also expected to end his club career with Al-Nassr at the end of this season.
Ronaldo’s retirement comes about a month after Lionel Messi played his final game for Argentina. This means football is now saying goodbye to the two players who shaped the international game over the last two decades.
Ronaldo has also promised to play “one or more farewell matches” for Portugal. However, it remains to be seen whether those matches will happen and whether he can settle his differences with Jesus before his final goodbye to the national team.