Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football after a record-breaking career.

The 41-year-old made the announcement on Thursday in a long video posted on his social media pages in which he read a letter to his supporters.

"The day has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team," he said. "I never thought it belonged to me alone. But for 23 years, I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it."

Portugal estará sempre em mim https://t.co/dnFj51rxmh

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 5, 2026

Ronaldo made a record 234 appearances for Portugal and scored a record 146 international goals. The highlight of his international career came in 2016, when he lifted the European Championship trophy. He also helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

His relationship with the national team has, however, soured over the last few years, largely because of his declining form. Despite his waning impact, he continued to start, and some fans grew frustrated.

After this summer's World Cup in North America, Ronaldo reportedly clashed with new head coach Jorge Jesus and stormed out of a national team training camp last month.

His announcement comes shortly after Argentina's Lionel Messi also retired from international football.