Cristiano Ronaldo was fined under $300 for walking out on Portugal, and now the 41-year-old says the day has come to hand back the No. 7 shirt

Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football, saying he is handing back Portugal’s No. 7 shirt after 23 years with the national team, as reported by the BBC. The 41-year-old forward announced the decision in an Instagram video.

“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said. He said he never felt the shirt belonged to him alone, but that for more than two decades he had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it and defending it in stadiums around the world. He added that it was time to pass it on to the future, calling it a difficult choice because some decisions come from the heart and not just the mind.

The announcement comes after Ronaldo walked out of the Portugal camp in September when he learned he would not start a Nations League match against Denmark. The Portuguese Football Federation (PFF) fined him £215, or less than $300, and handed him a 30-day suspension.

It was not an easy year for Ronaldo with Portugal

Ronaldo’s issues with coach Jorge Jesus appeared to start earlier. His performances at his sixth World Cup this summer drew media criticism after he struggled in Portugal’s opener, and Portugal went on to lose to eventual champions Spain in the last 16.

He reportedly grew angry when he was named a substitute against Norway and not brought on, the first time he had been an unused substitute in a competitive Portugal game since 2008. When Jesus then said Ronaldo would not start against Denmark, Ronaldo left the camp. At the time, he issued a lengthy statement saying he was not retiring and claiming Jesus had twice “broke his word.”

Jesus left the door open for a return, but the PFF still issued the fine and suspension. Ronaldo did not directly mention the falling out in his farewell video, though he acknowledged making mistakes. “There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that still hurt to remember. I made mistakes; I suffered,” he said.

“There were also moments when I couldn’t give the Portuguese people what they so desperately wanted. But I never gave up. And above all I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal,” Ronaldo added. He closed by saying he spent his life working to become the best player in the world, and that his greatest victory was earning the honor of representing the best country in the world.

Ronaldo holds the men’s international records for goals, with 146, and caps, with 234, since his debut in 2003, and has captained Portugal since 2008. He played in six European Championships, helping Portugal finish as runners-up in 2004 and win the title in 2016, and won the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. Portugal never advanced past the World Cup semifinals during his career, and his longtime rival Lionel Messi also retired from international football in October.

The PFF said it would not “let this farewell take place without due tribute” and expressed a “firm and immense desire to organise, plan, participate and actively collaborate” in a tribute to his career. Portugal will announce its squad on Friday for this month’s Nations League fixtures, a home game against Denmark and an away match against Wales.