Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football as he 'hands back' his number seven shirt. The forward has confirmed the news in a five-minute speech released on his social media accounts.

"To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team," he said. "I never felt it belonged to me alone.

"But for 23 years, I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defining it, and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world.