According to a report by Daily Post Nigeria on Thursday, November 5, 2026, Brazilian football superstar Neymar has paid an emotional tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portuguese forward's announcement that he will retire from international football after more than two decades representing his country.

Neymar reacted to Ronaldo's retirement announcement with a short message on Instagram, describing the 41-year-old as a “Lenda”, meaning “Legend” in Portuguese. The former Barcelona forward also included clapping emojis in his response, acknowledging the remarkable career of the Portugal captain.

Ronaldo announced his decision through a lengthy video posted on his official Instagram account on Thursday. He confirmed that he would bring his 23-year international career to an end after the November international break.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker also revealed that he would relinquish Portugal's iconic number seven shirt, which has become closely associated with his name throughout his time with the national team.

In his farewell message to the Portuguese people, Ronaldo reflected on the privilege of representing his country and the responsibility that came with wearing the national team's shirt for 23 years.

“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world,” he said.

The Al-Nassr forward also acknowledged that deciding to retire was particularly difficult because of the emotional connection he had developed with international football.

“It was not an easy decision. Because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart,” Ronaldo added.

Ronaldo leaves international football with an outstanding record of 234 appearances and 146 goals for Portugal. He remains the most-capped player in men's international football history and its all-time leading goalscorer.

His international achievements include captaining Portugal to their first major international trophy at Euro 2016. He also helped the country win the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

Neymar's tribute is particularly notable given their history as rivals during their time in Spanish football. The Brazilian represented Barcelona for four seasons, while Ronaldo was leading Real Madrid's attack.

The Brazilian also announced his retirement from international football in July following Brazil's 2-1 defeat to Norway in the World Cup round of 16.

Meanwhile, the Premier League's official Instagram account and Ronaldo's former Portugal teammate Pepe were among the football personalities and organisations that paid tribute to the Portuguese legend following his announcement.