Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From Portugal: 23 Years, 146 Goals and One Messy Goodbye
Updated November 5, 2026
Updated November 5, 2026
A month ago, we said it was time for Cristiano Ronaldo to walk away from Portugal. On Thursday morning, he finally did it. The 41-year-old announced his retirement from international football on social media, ending a 23-year career with the line "Portugal will always be in me."
It comes a day before Jorge Jesus names his squad for the Nations League games against Denmark and Wales, and less than a month after Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina. Two careers that defined a generation, both done for their countries inside four weeks. I didn't hold back when he walked out of the Portugal camp in Copenhagen, and I stand by every word.
But a sulk in October doesn't cancel out two decades of carrying the hopes of a nation. Today deserves a look at the bigger picture, and to what comes next for a generation-defining footballer.
The final weeks weren't pretty as the legendary forward tainted his legacy with some less than exemplary behavior. After walking out from the squad after manager Jorge Jesus allegedly broke a promise to him, the Portuguese federation handed him a 30-day suspension.
While posting an incendary message on Instagram to explain how he felt "betrayed" by Jesus, He apologized to his teammates and said he wanted to keep playing for Portugal. Then, with the suspension served and a squad announcement looming, he called time on his storied international career.
His last game turned out to be the 1-0 win over Wales on September 24. He started, wore the armband and was substituted in the 67th minute. No emotional goodbye, no fanfare, so very un-Ronaldo.
Ronaldo's 146 goals and 234 caps both stand as records in men's football, and I would be surprised if anyone were to come close to either tally in the near future. He's scored 14 goals at the European Championship finals, more than anyone in history, and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2020. He has 10 international hat-tricks.
At the 2026 World Cup he became the first player ever to score at six different World Cups, finishing with 11 tournament goals in 27 appearances. Those aren't the numbers of a player who padded his stats against minnows. That's two decades of turning up at major tournaments and delivering.
Ronaldo was 19 when Portugal lost the Euro 2004 final to Greece on home soil. By the time Portugal won the inaugural Nations League in 2019, he was the only player left from that side. In between came Paris. Euro 2016, the final against France, and Ronaldo carried off injured inside the first half hour.
What happened next is the image is one of the defining images of his prime. Knee strapped, limping along the touchline, screaming instructions at teammates who won it without him on the pitch. Portugal's first major trophy, and their captain coaching them over the line. He added the 2019 Nations League, scoring a hat-trick against Switzerland in the semifinal, and a second Nations League title in 2025.
For a country that had never won anything before him, he dragged Portugal to glory on more than one occasion, transforming them from perennial also-rans into contenders and champions.
His sixth and final World Cup ended with a 1-0 round of 16 defeat to Spain in Dallas in July. He scored three goals at the tournament and confirmed before the Spain game that it would be his last, as the Jules Rimet trophy remained the one trophy that stayed out of reach. In hindsight, that was the natural exit. The Wales game and the Copenhagen walkout were an awkward epilogue to a story that should have already finished.
Here's where it gets interesting. Retiring from Portugal doesn't settle Kalshi's Soccer Retirements before Jul 1, 2027 market, because it only resolves Yes if he quits all professional soccer, club and international.
Right now, Yes on Ronaldo is priced at 66¢ (-223) and No at 51¢ (-104), with Kalshi showing around a 70% chance he retires before the deadline. The case for Yes is strong. His Al Nassr contract runs to June 2027, almost exactly when this market closes.
He said this summer that this is probably his last year, and reports in England have suggested he's likely to leave Al Nassr in 2027 and could quit the game at that point, with Saudi interests keen for him to take a bigger ownership role at the club.
The case for No rests on the 1,000-goal chase. Ronaldo has said repeatedly he won't retire until he gets there, but his hat-trick against Al Kholood on October 29 took him to 985, and at his current pace he should get to four figures well before next summer. If anything, hitting the milestone early removes his last reason to keep going.
He's also hinted at a return to Europe at some point, which is the main scenario where No pays out. I think Yes is the right side, but I don't see much value at 66¢. The bigger issue is the market itself. There's barely $7,000 traded, and the gap between the Yes and No prices is wide. If you want a position, set a limit order and wait for a better fill rather than taking the price on the screen.
The immediate target is obvious: 15 more goals to reach 1,000, a number no professional has ever hit. He's already won his first Saudi Pro League title, so the trophy box at Al Nassr is ticked.
After that, the paths split. A boardroom role at Al Nassr. One final season in Europe, chasing a last headline. Or a clean exit next summer when his contract ends, which is what the market is betting on.
Whatever he picks, the Portugal chapter is closed. It ended messily, the way he probably never imagined. But in 20 years, nobody will be talking about Copenhagen. They'll be talking about 146 goals, a touchline in Paris and the player who tranformed Portugal from also-rans into winners.
