Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest soccer player to ever play for Portugal and has helped the national team win three trophies during his 23-year career.

Despite having helped the nation reach heights they were not used to reaching, Ronaldo fell short of one achievement, which he always wanted to achieve with Portugal, and that was making 250 appearances.

As he announced his retirement today, Ronaldo walks away with 234 international appearances and 146 goals, the most by any player.

The announcement comes just one month after he left the Portuguese football camp in September, following controversy with head coach Jorge Jesus.

“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in an Instagram video. “Today the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone – they are also made with the heart. A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end.”

The Portuguese national team put out an official video on Instagram with a powerful caption that read: “A legacy that will live on forever. Thank you for everything, captain.”

They also put out a statement to inform fans that a tribute was in the works for the legendary soccer player.

“It is our firm and immense desire to organise, plan, participate and actively collaborate in what will always be a fitting tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo’s immense career, in which fans and the country can applaud and celebrate, once again, the player who has given us so much,” the statement read.

Throughout his career, Ronaldo represented Portugal in six European Championships and won the competition once in 2016. He has also played in six World Cups and led the national team to the semi-finals in 2006.

Ronaldo played in 178 competitive games and 56 friendlies throughout his career. 57 of his competitive appearances came in the World Cup and Euros. The 41-year-old has scored 25 goals in these games and helped his country become one of the leading nations in soccer.

As he retires from international football, the country will now be without an icon who has carried the expectations of the Portuguese people for over two decades. Although many would say that his performances declined in the past few years, there was still an expectation of something big happening with him on the field. However, with the legend now having announced his retirement, the next generation of Portuguese talent will have to showcase that they are capable of taking the country to great heights.