Cristiano Ronaldo retires from international football at 41

LISBON, November 5 — Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese football icon, announced on Thursday that he will be retiring from international football at the age of 41. Throughout his career, Ronaldo had played a total of 234 matches for Portugal, scoring an impressive 146 goals, which remains a world record. However, his form in recent times had been declining, and he had also clashed with the national coach, Jorge Jesus, after refusing to play in a Nations League match.

As a result, Ronaldo was given a 30-day suspension and was immediately removed from the team camp. Despite rumors about his potential return to the international scene, on Thursday, Ronaldo released a video on his Instagram account confirming that he was concluding his international career. "The day has come for me to return the number seven shirt of our national team," Ronaldo declared in the video, accompanied by images depicting his illustrious career.

"I never considered the shirt to be mine alone, but rather a privilege and responsibility for 23 years, defending and carrying it to stadiums across the globe," he added. Ronaldo acknowledged that this was a difficult decision, as many choices are not solely based on intellect but also on the heart. He reflected on the journey that began in August 2003, which had forever changed his life.

"An end has come to an era that started in 2003 and transformed my life," Ronaldo summarized. One of the highlights of his international career was winning the European Championship with Portugal in 2016 during the tournament held in France. However, he had to withdraw from the final due to an injury. During the World Cup held in the United States this year, Ronaldo scored three goals for Portugal, but they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by eventual champions Spain.