Cristiano Ronaldo has called time on his illustrious career in international football.
Ronaldo, 41, scored 146 goals in 234 games for Portugal and won the 2016 European Championship as well as two Nations League titles.
His retirement comes just weeks after his explosive falling-out with new manager Jorge Jesus, which ended with Ronaldo abandoning Portugal’s camp during the most recent international break in September and October.
It appeared as if he could return for the upcoming break this month for clashes with Denmark and Wales, but he has decided to step away after 23 years.
He is hoping to pass the baton to his son, 16-year-old Cristiano Junior, who this week has been called up for Portugal’s Under-17s.
He wrote in a statement: ‘To the people of Portugal, the day has come to return the number 7 jersey of our national team. I never felt it was exclusively mine. But for 23 years, I had the privilege and the responsibility to wear it, to defend it, and to take it with me to stadiums all over the world. Today has come the moment to hand it over to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made just with the head, they are also made with the heart.
‘A journey comes to an end that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever. When I look back and think about everything I experienced in the national team, I do not just see games, goals, records, or trophies. I see people. I see immigrants who, for 90 minutes, felt Portugal a little closer.
‘I see millions of Portuguese people that I never met personally, but who were part of my life. Because at the end of everything, football is much greater than a game. Football is people. Throughout my career in the national team, I sought to surpass my limits. I wanted to win, I wanted to be the best, I wanted to make history.
‘I was always demanding of myself. I always wanted more, I always believed we could go further. And I gave everything I had for this jersey. There were perfect afternoons and nights, there were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that even today I find hard to remember. I also failed, I also suffered, there were also moments when I was not able to give the Portuguese people what they so desired. But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.
‘Throughout these years, I learned very simple things. Goals pass, trophies stay in museums, records end up being broken. But there is something that time can never erase: the place we occupy in people’s hearts. If I ever made you happy, if ever a goal of mine made you hug someone, forget a problem, or simply feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it. Because being Portuguese is also that. We suffer together, we get up together.
‘We believe again. Portugal will always need youngsters who dream of it, players who never give up, new generations who believe it is possible to reach where no one has reached. Because a country that continues to create new heroes is a country that never stops believing in itself. To my national team teammates, I want to leave a special word. Thank you for every run, for every hug, for every argument, for every silence before entering the pitch. For every victory we celebrated together and for every defeat that made us stronger. I had the privilege of being your captain, but no captain walks alone. And you are part of my history. To all the coaches, directors, doctors, physiotherapists, kit men, staff, and so many people who worked with me over these years, my thank you.
‘Many of you never appeared in these photographs. But without you, none of those photographs would have been possible. To my family, thank you for sharing this dream with me. Thank you for understanding the absences, the sacrifices, and the moments when the national team had to occupy a space that also belonged to you.
‘If I got this far, it was because we were always hand in hand. And to the Portuguese, to all Portuguese people scattered around the world, I want to tell you one last thing. There is an image I will always carry with me: the moment the national anthem begins. I look around, I see my teammates, I see the stands, I see children, mothers, fathers, and grandfathers, I see Portuguese people who came from so far just to be there. And during those minutes, we stop being different. There are no clubs, there are no colors, there are no classes, there are no professions, there are no opinions. There is only one passion: Portugal.
‘That is a feeling I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Today, my journey on the pitch with the national team ends. I leave with my head held high, proud of the path I walked and with the awareness that I gave everything I had for Portugal. But I will never stop being one of you. I will continue to suffer, to cheer, and to celebrate every victory of Portugal. I spent my life working to be the best player in the world. Today I realize that the greatest victory was having deserved to represent the best country in the world. Thank you for these 23 years. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for allowing me to live a dream that began when I was just a boy in Madeira, chasing a ball. The number seven jersey stays, the pride of having worn it will be mine forever. Portugal will always be in me. Farewell always, Cristiano Ronaldo.’
More to follow.
