Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal career in numbers
Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football after 23 years with Portugal, finishing with 234 appearances, 146 goals and three major trophies.
The 41-year-old announced it in a video message on November 5, a day before Jorge Jesus was due to name his squad.
The Al Nassr forward confirmed he will no longer wear the number seven shirt, closing a journey that began with his senior debut in 2003. He said he leaves with pride, knowing he gave everything for Portugal.
“The goals pass, the cups are in museums, the records end up being beaten. But there is something that time can never erase, the place we occupy in people’s hearts.”
Ronaldo’s Portugal career in numbers
146: most international goals in history
234: most appearances for any national team
6: first player to score at six different World Cups
11: World Cup goals for Portugal
14: most European Championship goals
8: most European Championship assists
10: international hat-tricks, plus four goals in a match on two occasions
23: consecutive years scoring for Portugal, from 2004 to 2026
1: European Championship title, in 2016
2: Nations League titles, in 2019 and 2025
No man has scored more for his country. Lionel Messi is next on 126, 20 behind, with Ali Daei on 108, Romelu Lukaku 94, Robert Lewandowski 92 and Harry Kane 91. Erling Haaland has 65 in 59 games at 26, the likeliest threat.
His 234 caps are 88 more than Joao Moutinho, second on 146 appearances. His international career spanned 23 years and 35 days, and he became Portugal’s oldest international at 41 years and 152 days.
Early on, he was also the youngest Portuguese to reach 100 caps, at 27 years, eight months and 11 days, a pace that set up his later longevity.
Portugal never won a major trophy with Eusebio or Luis Figo. Ronaldo changed that at Euro 2016, beating France in the final even though injury forced him off, then won the inaugural Nations League in 2019, scoring a semi-final hat-trick against Switzerland.
He lifted the Nations League again in 2025, the third major trophy of his career, and played at six European Championships. All three trophies came in his era, which no Portuguese side before him could say.
The farewell followed a tense spell under Jorge Jesus, his former Al Nassr coach. Ronaldo left camp in September after not playing against Norway, then apologised, and the Portuguese Football Federation handed him a 30-day suspension, applied retrospectively.
He had insisted he was available and was in the preliminary squad for November, which made the announcement a surprise. Jesus is expected to name his squad on November 6 for the Nations League fixtures, the first without Ronaldo for 23 years.
“Portugal will always be in me. Forever.”