Cristiano Ronaldo has officially announced his retirement from international football, ending a historic Portugal career with 234 caps and 146 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly ended his Portugal career without informing head coach Jorge Jesus personally, dealing another blow to their already fractured relationship.
The 41-year-old is said to have communicated his decision exclusively to Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença before announcing his international retirement publicly on Thursday.
Ronaldo leaves Jorge Jesus out of retirement decision
According to reports, Ronaldo did not speak to Jesus before making his decision public, despite the Portugal coach intending to include his captain in his next squad announcement on Friday.
The Al-Nassr forward had also reportedly ignored messages sent by Jesus in recent weeks, with their relationship said to have deteriorated completely following the events in Copenhagen.
The breakdown came after a public disagreement between the pair during the previous international break, when Ronaldo walked out on the national team and was subsequently suspended by the Portuguese Football Federation.
Although the five-time Ballon d’Or winner initially indicated that he was willing to return to the national team, reports from people close to him suggested that he had already played his final game for Portugal.
His decision to inform Proença rather than Jesus appears to have brought that chapter to an abrupt end, with the national team coach reportedly learning of the retirement through the public announcement.
Ronaldo ends historic Portugal career
The decision ends an extraordinary spell in which he made 234 appearances for Portugal and scored 146 goals.
Both figures stand as all-time international records, making Ronaldo the most-capped men’s international footballer and the leading goalscorer in the history of the men’s game.
He also captained Portugal to major international honours, including their 2016 European Championship triumph and the 2019 and 2024 UEFA Nations League title.
While Ronaldo’s retirement marks the end of one of the most decorated international careers in football history, the reported circumstances surrounding his departure have added another layer to the dispute with Jesus.
