--- title: "Cristiano Ronaldo officially bids farewell to the Portuguese national team: 23 years, 234 matches, and 146 goals" description: "Cristiano Ronaldo has officially announced his retirement from the Portuguese national team. The 41-year-old captain played 234 matches and scored 146 goals for his country, becoming a world record holder." date: 2026-11-05T11:14:16.205Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/cristiano-ronaldo-retires-portugal-national-team tags: [cristiano-ronaldo, portugal-national-team, football, retirement] author: "Dmitriy Shatolov, Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Cristiano Ronaldo officially bids farewell to the Portuguese national team: 23 years, 234 matches, and 146 goals ![Cristiano Ronaldo in a red Portugal national team jersey looking thoughtfully downwards at the stadium.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/05/ronaldu-prostilsya-so-sbornoy-portugalii/ronaldu-prostilsya-so-sbornoy-portugalii-1.webp) ## Key Points - Cristiano Ronaldo officially announced his retirement from the Portuguese national team via Instagram. - Over 23 years (since August 2003), he played 234 matches and scored 146 goals, setting a world record at the international level. - The highlights of his career were winning Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. - The decision follows a scandal involving him leaving the national team camp without permission before the match against Norway, for which he was suspended and fined. Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo has officially announced his retirement from the Portuguese national team. The 41-year-old captain addressed his fans in a special statement published on his personal Instagram account, summarizing more than two decades in the number 7 shirt. This was reported by [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/ofitsiyno-ronaldu-poproshchavsya-zi-zbirnoyu-1793876418.html). ### Official Farewell In his statement, Ronaldo described the decision as "not easy," noting that such steps are "taken not only with the head, but also with the heart." "Today, the moment has come to pass the number 7 to the future... A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever comes to an end. The greatest victory is the honor of representing the best country in the world," the footballer declared. He also emphasized that the number 7 shirt never belonged only to him, and for 23 years, he had the "privilege and responsibility" to wear it and defend it on stadiums around the world. ### 23-Year Results: Records and Trophies During his time with the national team, Ronaldo played 234 matches and scored 146 goals, setting a world record for the number of goals at the international level. The pinnacle of his career with Portugal was 2016, when he won the European Championship title with the team. In addition, the forward won the UEFA Nations League trophy twice — in 2019 and 2025. Thus, his journey with the national team covered the entire spectrum of achievements — from his debut in August 2003 to his last triumphs on the international stage. ### The Scandal That Accelerated the Decision The decision to end his international career was made against the backdrop of a high-profile incident during the previous Nations League window. According to sources, Ronaldo left the national team camp without permission after being left out of the starting lineup for the match against Norway. For this action, the footballer was punished with suspension from national team matches and a financial fine, which reportedly accelerated his final farewell to the team. ### What's Next With Ronaldo's departure, the Portuguese national team loses not only its record goalscorer but also a symbolic captain whose number 7 will now belong to "the future." For fans around the world, this event marks the end of an entire era in world football: 23 years, 234 matches, and 146 goals — numbers that will likely remain unsurpassed for many years to come. The federation has not yet officially announced who will take the leader's place or how the famous number will be distributed. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Официально: Роналду простился со сборной Португалии](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/ofitsiyno-ronaldu-poproshchavsya-zi-zbirnoyu-1793876418.html) - Primary source: official statement on Instagram, 234 matches, 146 goals, 23 years, 2016/2019/2025, Norway scandal. - [Роналду объявил о завершении карьеры в сборной Португалии](https://tsn.ua/ru/prosport/ronaldu-obyavil-o-zavershenii-karery-v-sbornoy-portugalii-3208783.html) - Confirms the Instagram announcement and the quote about passing the number 7 to the future. - [Криштиану Роналду официально отстранен от сборной Португалии. Все подробности скандала](https://www.obozrevatel.com/section-sport-oboz/news-krishtianu-ronaldu-ofitsiyno-vidstoronenyy-vid-zbirnoyi-portuhaliyi-usi-podrobytsi-skandalu-10-10-2026.html) - Context: temporary suspension after leaving the team camp without permission. - [Роналду официально отстранили от сборной Португалии. И оштрафовали на его зарплату за… полминуты](https://news.sportbox.ru/Vidy_sporta/Futbol/spbnews_NI2377175_Ronaldu_oficialno_otstranili_ot_sbornoj_Portugalii_I_oshtrafovali_na_jego_zarplatu_za_polminuty?page_size=30&page_offset=1110) - Context: suspension and financial fine; possible return in November. ## FAQ ### Why did Ronaldo retire from the national team? In his own words, it was a "not easy decision" made "not only with the head, but also with the heart." The decision was made following a scandal regarding his unauthorized departure from the team camp before the match against Norway, for which he was suspended and fined. ### How many matches and goals does Ronaldo have for Portugal? Over 23 years, starting from his debut in August 2003, he played 234 matches and scored 146 goals, which is a world record at the national team level. ### What are Ronaldo's major trophies with the national team? He won the European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League twice — in 2019 and 2025.