[UPDATED] Cristiano Ronaldo announces international retirement

Lisbon saw Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo announce his retirement from international football at the age of 41 on Thursday. The record-breaking forward played 234 times for Portugal and scored 146 goals, a world record. However, Ronaldo's powers had evidently diminished in recent years, and he fell out with national coach Jorge Jesus last month due to his refusal to play him in a Nations League match.

Following his suspension and subsequent return to the team camp, Ronaldo confirmed his decision via a video on Instagram. In the video, he expressed his intention to hand back the number seven shirt of the national team to future players, stating that the shirt never belonged to him alone but represented 23 years of privilege, responsibility, and carrying it into stadiums worldwide.

Ronaldo acknowledged that the decision was not an easy one, but he felt it was time to pass the torch. Ronaldo's international career, which began in August 2003, reached its pinnacle when Portugal won the European Championship in 2016 in France, although Ronaldo had to leave the field during the final due to an injury. At the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo scored three goals but Portugal's campaign ended in the Round of 16 against eventual champions Spain.