After 23 years, Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football with 234 caps and 146 goals, a career that included Euro 2016 and two Nations League titles. The 41-year-old announced it in a video on November 5, weeks after a public fallout with new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. The No. 7 shirt is now vacant, and the argument over who should wear it has already started.
What Cristiano Ronaldo said in his retirement message
Ronaldo’s farewell was a five-minute video posted to social media. He thanked Portugal and its supporters for the journey that began in August 2003. Speaking to the Portuguese people, he said it was time to hand back the number seven shirt, which he said belongs to everyone and never felt like his alone.
The message was not entirely sentimental. He admitted he should never have walked out of the camp, but described what Jesus did as an absolute breach of trust. He also claimed Jesus had broken his word over using him as a substitute against Norway.
The real reason Ronaldo retired from Portugal
There was no single moment. A broken understanding over playing time turned into a standoff that neither man would end.
How it unravelled
| Date (2026) | What happened |
|---|---|
| July | Jesus, who had coached Ronaldo at Al Nassr, took over Portugal after the round of 16 exit at the World Cup. |
| September | Jesus and Ronaldo spoke about the striker’s future with the national team. |
| September 27 | Ronaldo stayed on the bench as Portugal won 2-1 in Norway. It was the first time in 18 years he had been an unused substitute. |
| September 30 | Ronaldo left the camp, the day before the Denmark game. |
| October 1 | Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in the Nations League without him. |
| October | The federation handed Ronaldo a 30-day suspension for the walkout. |
| November 5 | Ronaldo announces his retirement. |
| November 6 | Jesus names his squad without him. |
The Norway match left a mark. After the final whistle Ronaldo went straight to the dressing room and did not join his teammates in applauding the travelling fans.
The timing of the retirement suggests the door was still open for a while. According to Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepúlveda, both Jesus and federation president Pedro Proença tried to persuade Ronaldo to come back. The same report says Ronaldo wanted a public apology and Jesus refused to give one to any player. That is one journalist’s account and neither man has confirmed it, but it fits the facts. Ronaldo apologised to his teammates but not to Jesus.
There is also an earlier hint that this was coming. Ronaldo had admitted during the last international break that he was considering ending his Portugal career after the World Cup.
Jorge Jesus: “I don’t feel guilty”
Jesus has been consistent in how he describes it. He said he asked Ronaldo to continue before naming his first squad because he wanted him alongside him. He added that he had no advance warning of the announcement, would have picked Ronaldo for this month’s games, and had not contacted him since. He also said he did not take the public split personally.
The history makes this harder to read. When Jesus was appointed at Al Nassr, he credited Ronaldo’s invitation for bringing him to Riyadh. The relationship was close before it broke down.
Ronaldo’s Portugal career in numbers
| Record | Figure |
|---|---|
| Years with Portugal | 23 |
| Appearances | 234 |
| Goals | 146 |
| Euro 2016 | Winner |
| Nations League | 2019 and 2025 |
Both the appearance and goal totals are men’s international records.
What happens next for Ronaldo
This is not a full retirement. He remains an Al Nassr player in Saudi Arabia and is chasing 1,000 career goals. His contract there runs to 2027.
His old rival is also gone from the international stage. Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina less than a month before Ronaldo’s announcement.
Portugal has not named an official successor.
Rafael Leão wore it first, but that does not mean he has inherited it. UEFA Nations League rules require consecutive squad numbers, so the vacant No. 7 had to be reassigned for the Denmark game. Portugal has not announced a permanent successor. Leão, who plays for Galatasaray, normally wears No. 17.
The reaction was loud. Piers Morgan called the move disrespectful to Portugal’s greatest player.
Bruma and Gonçalo Guedes have worn the number in Ronaldo’s absence before. Carlos Forbs also wore it against Armenia in 2025. One recent shortlist of heirs runs from Leão to Geovany Quenda. Quenda is among the seven new faces in Jesus’s latest squad.
| Candidate | Case for | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Leão | Wore it against Denmark | Assigned under UEFA rules, not by choice |
| Geovany Quenda | Named on shortlists, called up by Jesus | New to the squad |
| Carlos Forbs | Has worn it before for Portugal | Only as a stand-in |
Will the shirt be retired?
Many fans want it retired, but a FIFA rule could stand in the way of that tribute at national level, even though clubs can retire numbers. One commentator argued that the number belongs to Portugal’s collective memory, not to Ronaldo, a successor or even the federation.
A new Portugal without Ronaldo
Jesus named a 28-man squad with seven new faces, and Bernardo Silva is reported as the new captain, with Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Dias, João Cancelo and Rúben Neves in the leadership group. Portugal had already qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals.
Ronaldo’s Portugal story ended on bad terms, but the numbers will stand for a long time. Whoever takes the No. 7 next will find the comparison unavoidable.
