Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football in a video shared on his Instagram account on Thursday.
The 41-year-old striker’s announcement brings an end to his career with Portugal, whom he represented for more than two decades.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner walked out of the Portugal camp in September after being told he would not start the Nations League match against Denmark.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in an Instagram video.
“I never felt it 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.
“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.”
Ronaldo is Portugal’s record goalscorer and most-capped player, having scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for the national team.
He led Portugal to victory at the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 UEFA Nations League.
