Reported by Al Jazeera
Ronaldo, 41, ended an illustrious 23-year career that spanned six World Cups and six European Championships.
Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football , where he has left an indelible mark as one of the sport’s greatest players.
The 41-year-old, who has played 234 times for Portugal and scored 146 goals, holds the all-time record for international appearances and international goals.
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He ended an illustrious 23-year career that spanned six World Cups and six European Championships.
Ronaldo made his senior debut for Portugal aged 18 in a friendly against Kazakhstan, coming on as a half-time substitute for Luis Figo.
He wore a number 17 jersey at the time since 7 was claimed by Figo. It was only after Figo’s retirement in 2006 that Ronaldo staked claim to the jersey full-time and made it synonymous with his brand CR7.
Ronaldo’s last appearance for Portugal was on September 24 in a 1-0 win over Wales, where he was substituted in the 67th minute.
Coach Jorge Jesus’s decision to keep him on the bench in the following match was a catalyst for the explosive falling out and subsequent departure from national duty, for which he was suspended for 30 days and fined 255 euros ($285).
Ronaldo has a final chance to upgrade his international statistics when Portugal, who top Nations League Group A4, host second second-placed Denmark on November 14 in Braga before visiting Wales in their final two group games.
Over on the club side, his next match with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League is on November 20 against Al-Qadsiah.
Ronaldo has an encyclopaedia worth of records in football, most notably as the world’s all-time international goalscorer (146 goals) and the most capped international player (234 appearances).
He has scored for Portugal in 23 consecutive calendar years (2004-2026) and is the country’s top scorer at the World Cup with 11 goals in 27 tournament games.
The statistics do not do justice to how Ronaldo helped Portugal reach new heights and make the European nation a regular presence at major tournaments.
He captained Portugal to its first major…