Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From International Football at 41: Check His Stats and Major Achievements
Another football legend bids farewell to the game as Cristiano Ronaldo announces his retirement, bringing an end to an illustrious international career spanning more than 2 decades with Portugal.
Portugal football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has just retired from professional football on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the age of 41. Having represented Portugal in 234 international games, Ronaldo announced the news to the football world in a 5-minute video posted on his Instagram account.
Regarded as one of the best players to ever play the game, Ronaldo also led Portugal to the UEFA Euro 2016 title and helped his country win the UEFA Nations League twice.
Despite trying almost everything in his illustrious career, Ronaldo has not managed to get his hands on the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy.
Christiano Ronaldo Emotional Message on Instargam
Ronaldo posted a 5 minute video on Instagram announcing his decision. In the video there are glimpses of children to some of the most special moments of his football career.
View this post on Instagram
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Cristiano Ronaldo's Major Achievements in Football
Ronaldo has won several iconic major individual and team honours during his career. Here are some of his biggest achievements:
Major International Achievements
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UEFA Euro 2016: Captained Portugal to its maiden European Championship title after defeating France 1-0 in the final.
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UEFA Nations League 2019: Helped Portugal win its first-ever Nations League title by defeating the Netherlands 1-0.
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UEFA Nations League 2025: Won his second Nations League title after Portugal defeated Spain in the final.
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FIFA World Cup 2006: Helped Portugal reach the semi-finals and finish fourth in the tournament.
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International Goals Record: Became the highest-scoring male international footballer with 146 goals.
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International Appearances Record: Became the most-capped male international footballer with 234 appearances.
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Six World Cups: Became the first male footballer to score in 6 different FIFA World Cup editions.
Major Individual Achievements
| Award / Record | Achievement |
| Ballon d'Or | 5 times |
| European Golden Shoe | 4 times |
| FIFA Best Men's Player | 2 times |
| UEFA Champions League | 5 titles |
| UEFA Champions League top scorer | 7 times |
| Most international goals (men) | 146 |
| Most international appearances (men) | 234 |
| Most goals in UEFA Champions League | 140 |
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Varun Verma is an education and sports journalist with over three years of experience in journalism, with a strong focus on cricket . He has previously worked with SportsYaari and CricketTimes.com, where he developed a strong news sense and a knack for storytelling while covering breaking news and major sporting events.
He holds a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Beyond sports, his interests include geopolitics, Indian polity and government policies. Inspired by the grit and passion of Ben Stokes, he strives to bring the same depth in his life.
For inquiries or professional insights, you can reach him directly at varun.verma@jagrannewmedia.com
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