Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo gestures as he holds the trophy while celebrating winning the UEFA Nations League final football match between Portugal and Netherlands at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Sunday, June 9, 2019. AP/PTI
List of Cristiano Ronaldo's major milestones with Portugal's national team
Ronaldo announced his international retirement after a career that included 234 appearances and 146 goals, which are men's world records.
Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday (November 5) announced his retirement from international football, ending a 23-year journey with the Portugal national team.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo, who played in six World Cups, and won a Euro title, took to his Instagram account to announce the decision.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world,” he said.
Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo’s farewell: The captain who taught Portugal to dream and win
“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,” he added.
Here's a look at the defining milestones of Ronaldo's 23-year career with Portugal's national team.
August 20, 2003: Made his Portugal debut as an 18-year-old in a 1-0 friendly win against Kazakhstan.
June 12, 2004: Scored his first international goal in a 2-1 loss against Greece in the opening match of the European Championship. The date also marked his first appearance at a major senior tournament.
June 17, 2006: Scored his first World Cup goal by converting a penalty kick in Portugal's 2-0 win over Iran in the tournament in Germany.
February 6, 2007: Made his debut as Portugal captain in a friendly against Brazil.
October 16, 2012: Earned his 100th cap with Portugal in a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier.
September 6, 2013: Scored his first international hat trick in a 4-2 win over Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier.
March 5, 2014: Became Portugal's all-time leading scorer with a pair of goals against Cameroon in a 5-1 victory in a friendly. That took him to 49 goals, two more than Pauleta at the time.
June 18, 2016: Became Portugal's most-capped player with his 128th appearance in a match against Austria at Euro 2016, surpassing Luís Figo.
July 10, 2016: Won his first senior international title with the national team after a 1-0 extra-time win over France in the European Championship final. Ronaldo was replaced early in the game after getting injured.
June 15, 2018: Scored his first World Cup hat trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain in Portugal's opening match in Russia.
Ronaldo reacts during the Euro 2024 group J qualifying football match between Portugal and Slovakia at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, October 13, 2023. AP/PTI
June 9, 2019: Helped Portugal win the inaugural Nations League with a 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the final.
September 8, 2020: Reached the mark of 100 international goals in a 2-0 win over Sweden in the Nations League. He also scored his 101st goal that day.
June 15, 2021: Became the outright leading scorer at Euros, passing Michel Platini's nine goals with a brace against Hungary.
September 1, 2021: Broke the men's international scoring record, surpassing Ali Daei's 109 goals with two late goals in a 2-1 win over Ireland.
November 24, 2022: Became the first man to score at five World Cups by converting a penalty kick against Ghana in a 3-2 win.
March 23, 2023: Became the most-capped men's international player with his 197th appearance against Liechtenstein, surpassing Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa.
June 20, 2023: Became the first man to earn 200 international appearances in a 1-0 victory at Iceland. He scored the winning goal.
June 18, 2024: Became the first player to appear at six European Championships, starting in Portugal's 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.
June 8, 2025: Helped Portugal win its second Nations League title by scoring in the 2-2 final against Spain. Portugal won 5-3 in a penalty shootout.
June 23, 2026: Became the first man to score at six World Cups after getting a brace against Uzbekistan in a 5-0 victory. On the same day he surpassed Eusébio as Portugal's leading World Cup scorer, reaching 10 goals.
September 30, 2026: Left the national team camp after a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus.
October 19, 2026: The Portuguese federation announced a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine for Ronaldo for leaving the national team camp.
November 5, 2026: Announced his international retirement after a career that included 234 appearances and 146 goals, which are men's world records.