NEED TO KNOW

• Cristiano Ronaldo officially announced his retirement from international soccer on Thursday

• The 41-year-old soccer star scored 146 goals for Portugal, including 11 at six different World Cups

• Ronaldo will continue to play at the club level with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia

Cristiano Ronaldo has officially played his final international soccer match.

The longtime Portugal star, 41, made the anticipated announcement in a video posted to social media on Thursday, Nov. 5, saying it was “not an easy decision.”

Ronaldo’s decision to step away from the Portugal men’s national soccer team for good comes five weeks after he announced he was abruptly stepping away from the squad amid ongoing tensions with head coach Jorge Jesus. 

“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in Thursday’s video.

“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 continued. “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.”

Ronaldo added: “A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end.”

The Portugal star said “when I look back and think of everything I’ve experienced with the national team, I don’t just see matches, goals, records or trophies: I see people.” 

“I see immigrants who, for 90 minutes, felt Portugal was a little bit closer,” he said. “I see millions of Portuguese people whom I’ve never met in person, but who have been part of my life. Because, at the end of the day, football is so much more than just a game. Football is about the people. Throughout my entire career with the national team, I’ve strived to push my limits. I wanted to win, I wanted to be the best, I wanted to make history.”

Ronaldo retires having never won the World Cup — a championship that eluded him and his country throughout his career. The team’s best finish with Ronaldo on the pitch came in 2006 when Portugal reached the semifinals for the first time in its history and finished fourth place. 

The Madeira, Portugal native retires as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 146 goals in 234 appearances with the country. This summer, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner played in his final World Cup for Portugal, adding three more goals in five games. By doing so, Ronaldo became the only player in history to score a goal at six different World Cups.

ESPN reported that Ronaldo’s rift with Portugal’s head coach came to a head following the team’s early Round of 16 exit from this year’s World Cup. 

Despite the simmering tensions with Team Portugal, which included a fine for leaving the team without warning in late September, Portugal’s national soccer federation issued a statement Thursday praising its longtime star and congratulating him on his retirement.

“It is with a sense of deep gratitude and immense admiration that the Portuguese Football Federation publicly pays tribute to and thanks Cristiano Ronaldo for his absolutely extraordinary career in the service of our country,” the federation said, per ESPN. “More than just an outstanding athlete, our captain was an inspiring leader, a model of dedication and the ultimate symbol of the spirit of our national team.”

Ronaldo, a father of five, will continue playing at the club level with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He currently has 985 career goals, and his contract with the team lasts through June 2027.

Read the original article on People