2026 has signalled a new dawn in the world of football. Just a few weeks after Lionel Messi ended a glorious international career with Argentina, his nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo, has done the same with Portugal.
Though the pair continue to ply their trade at Inter Miami and Al Nassr respectively, never again will we see either on the international stage.
Time waits for no man
Time waits for no man, of course, and even though Ronaldo has kept himself in such shape that players half his age might be jealous, the plain fact is that Portugal now has better options in the squad, and that’s clearly been difficult for the 41-year-old to accept.
“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 in his farewell speech.
“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.”
Given his excellent service to his country, it’s the greatest shame that he wasn’t afforded the opportunity to retire in glory, in the same way that Messi was. If nothing else, Ronaldo deserved that type of send-off and affection at the very least.
Olive branch declined
However, just as when he was eased out of Man Utd, it’s an argument with his coach that appears to have forced the player’s hand.
Jorge Jesus had made it clear that the door was open for Ronaldo to continue, but he wouldn’t guarantee him a starting place.
Whilst not looking to denigrate the player’s achievements in any way, that appeared to be a sensible decision from a manager who is laser-focused on winning the biggest trophies for the Selecao das Quinas.
Without Ronaldo in situ, the future of the Portuguese national team is going to look quite different, and there will be plenty of his countrymen looking to make their own mark on the international stage.
International debut at 18
It’s unlikely that any will reach the incredible levels of the man who debuted at the age of 18, when he came off the bench in a friendly against Kazakhstan on August 20, 2003, to replace Luis Figo.
It didn’t take him long to score his first goal for Portugal, though it was only an injury-time consolation in a 2-1 group stage defeat against Greece in EURO 2004.
The Greeks would go on to famously beat Portugal, the tournament hosts, in the final, though on a personal level, Ronaldo could be happy with his inclusion in the Team of the Tournament.
He remained part of the squad that finished third at the World Cup two years later, a tournament that will be remembered for Ronaldo’s attempts to get Man Utd teammate Wayne Rooney sent off.
Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of his international career came some 11 years later, when Portugal finally won their first-ever major tournament: EURO 2016.
Though he was injured in the final against the hosts and favourites, France, that didn’t stop Ronaldo from celebrating wildly at full-time, thanks to Eder’s stunning long-range winning effort in extra time.
Goals at six successive World Cups
No one is likely to forget his hat-trick against Spain in the 2018 World Cup, either, in what was a stunning individual performance.
What remains under the radar about that particular feat is that he was already 33 years old by then, and so became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the tournament’s history.
Those three goals contributed to his 11 goals across the six World Cups that he played in, and with at least one goal in each of those editions, he became the first-ever to score at six successive World Cup tournaments – another record that’s likely to stand the test of time.
Though the Nations League might be seen by many as being an inferior tournament to the likes of the World Cup and European Championship, it’s still a title to win, and Portugal’s two victories in 2019 and 2025 make them the most successful nation in it.
With 15 goals in that tournament, Ronaldo is only behind Erling Haaland (22) in terms of goals scored.
146 goals in 234 Portugal appearances
In fact, when the dust settles, and the chatter stops, one will truly be able to appreciate the impact that Ronaldo had on the international game.
With 234 appearances for his country, Ronaldo reached the incredible world record mark of 146 goals, and though the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will be aiming to beat it, it’s going to take some doing.
By contrast, Messi managed 126 in 208 games for La Albiceleste.
Ronaldo can add 37 assists and 10 hat-tricks to his international resume, and, as he brings the curtain down on this aspect of his career, football as a collective should doff their caps in the direction of one of the very best to have ever played the game.
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high-profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
