Cristiano Ronaldo announced his international retirement on Thursday, calling time on a storied career with Portugal that first began when he was still a teenager, almost a quarter of a century ago.
In an emotional video message posted on social media, Ronaldo thanked the Portuguese people before revealing that he has made the decision to hand back the famous No.7 jersey he has worn with pride for the Seleção.
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"I never felt [the shirt] belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world," Ronaldo said. "Today the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone -- they are also made with the heart. A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end."
The 41-year-old ended his international career on something of a sour note when he walked out of a training camp in October after being informed that he wouldn't be starting for Portugal against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
However, that is unlikely to eclipse what has been a long and highly successful tour of duty for Portugal, during which Ronaldo has collected several major honors while scoring 146 goals in 234 caps, including strikes at six different FIFA World Cup tournaments -- all of which are records in the men's game.
Here's a timely look back at some of the many highlights of Ronaldo's incredible international career.
Replacing Figo on Portugal debut
Ronaldo made his international bow at the age of 18 when he emerged from the bench in a friendly against Kazakhstan on Aug. 20, 2003. The prodigious winger replaced Luis Figo at half-time in a true "passing of the torch" moment, although on the night it was a goal from Simão which won the game 1-0.
First Portugal goal
Instead, Ronaldo had to wait until the following year (and his eighth international cap) to score his first goal for Portugal, which actually came during a 2-1 loss to Greece in the group stage at Euro 2004. It may have only been a 93rd-minute headed consolation goal, but the ball was well and truly set rolling from that point on.
Tournament hosts Portugal then went on to lose against surprise-package Greece again in the final, but Ronaldo had already done enough to secure his place in the official 'Team of the Tournament' having contributed two goals and two assists en route.
First World Cup
Two years on from seeing his first tournament final end in floods of tears, Ronaldo made his debut at the World Cup as an integral part of the Portugal side that mustered a bronze-medal finish.
While he only scored once during Portugal's run to the semis, Ronaldo's ill-tempered tussle with Wayne Rooney during the quarterfinal penalty shootout victory over England, in which Ronaldo eagerly urged the referee to send off his Manchester United teammate for a petulant stamp on Ricardo Carvalho and then wryly winked at his dugout in the aftermath, has gone down as one of the most memorable moments of the tournament.
Winning Euro 2016
Ronaldo was instrumental in Portugal claiming their first-ever major international honor by winning Euro 2016. Their talismanic No. 7 had been in decent form through the tournament, scoring twice in the group stage (including a brilliant backheeled effort against Hungary) and again in the semifinals with a towering header against Wales to help ensure safe passage through to the final against hosts France.
However, Ronaldo's final lasted just 25 minutes before knee injury forced him to be stretchered off despite his best efforts to play on.
Refusing to be rendered obsolete, the forward dried his tears and instead adopted a role as an auxiliary coach/cheerleader on the touchlines -- marshalling his teammates through extra time, before Eder's dramatic 109th-minute winner secured the greatest victory in Seleção history -- and then afterward, giving an emotional speech in the locker room.
Hat trick vs. Spain
While the bulk of Ronaldo's international goals have undoubtedly been scored against the comparative lesser lights of the European game, he also managed to regularly find the net against the heavy hitters too -- with none heavier than Iberian rivals Spain.
The most memorable of Ronaldo's 10 hat tricks in his international career came against La Roja in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup. The then-33-year-old put on a classic virtuoso display capped off with a stunning late free kick to deny Spain victory, becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat trick in the process.
Two Nations League triumphs
After wrapping up an historic UEFA European Championship in 2016, Portugal went on to enjoy even more continental success in the years that followed by winning the UEFA Nations League not once, but twice -- in 2019 and 2025 respectively. Ronaldo first captained his side to victory over Netherlands to win the inaugural tournament in 2019, also finishing the finals as the top overall goal scorer. He then scored in the final of the 2025 competition as Portugal nudged past Spain via a penalty shootout to lift the trophy once again.
Breaking record for most international goals
Having dedicated himself to breaking every goal scoring record possible, Ronaldo reached a major landmark in 2021 when two goals against the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier edged him past Iran legend Ali Daei to become the leading goal scorer in men's international football. Ronaldo took his tally to 111 goals for Portugal that night, thus eclipsing Daei's long-standing record of 109 goals.
The Portuguese superstar has since extended his record by some distance, with his immense tally of 146 goals in 234 appearances currently a full 20 goals clear of the player in second place on the list -- Lionel Messi, with 126 goals in 208 appearances for Argentina. With the last of Ronaldo's record international tally coming against Croatia at the World Cup last summer, his rivals now have a fixed target to aim for.