Portugal's all-time leading scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, announced his retirement from international football. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner concluded a career spanning 20 years with the national team, making 207 appearances—a world record for men's international football.
Ronaldo debuted for Portugal in August 2003 against Kazakhstan and scored his first international goal at UEFA Euro 2004 against Greece. He finishes with 128 international goals, surpassing Iranian Ali Daei's previous record of 109 goals set in 2021.
He led Portugal to victory in the 2016 UEFA European Championship, the nation's first major international trophy, scoring three goals and providing three assists in the campaign. He also secured the inaugural UEFA Nations League title in 2019, scoring a hat-trick in the semifinal against Switzerland.
Ronaldo appeared in five FIFA World Cup tournaments and five UEFA European Championships. He is the only player to score in five different World Cups, a feat spanning 2006 to 2022. He holds the record for most goals in the European Championship with 14. His final international match was against Morocco in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, which Portugal lost 1-0.
New coach Roberto Martinez will rely on younger players including João Félix, Rafael Leão, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva. Portugal competes in the UEFA Nations League in September, followed by qualifiers for the next World Cup.
