{
  "id": 18305068,
  "title": "Here’s a look at Cristiano Ronaldo’s major milestones with Portugal’s national team",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/heres-a-look-at-cristiano-ronaldos-major-milestones-with-portugals",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T12:48:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/soccer/2026/11/05/heres-a-look-at-cristiano-ronaldos-major-milestones-with-portugals-national-team"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo's illustrious career with Portugal's national team has concluded. Widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, the 41-year-old forward announced he would be stepping away from international football. This article provides an overview of Ronaldo's key milestones in his 23-year tenure with the Portuguese team.\n\nOn August 20, 2003, Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal at the age of 18 in a friendly match against Kazakhstan, securing a 1-0 victory. His first international goal came on June 12, 2004, during a 2-1 loss to Greece, marking his debut at a major senior tournament. Ronaldo's first World Cup goal was scored in Portugal's 2-0 win against Iran in the 2006 tournament held in Germany.\n\nIn 2007, Ronaldo became Portugal's captain for the first time in a friendly match against Brazil. He reached the century mark with his 100th cap in a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier on October 16, 2012. Ronaldo's first international hat-trick was achieved on September 6, 2013, in a 4-2 win over Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier.\n\nRonaldo became Portugal's all-time leading scorer on March 5, 2014, with two goals against Cameroon in a friendly match, surpassing Pauleta's previous record of 49 goals. He surpassed Luís Figo to become Portugal's most-capped player on June 18, 2016, during a match against Austria at Euro 2016. Ronaldo's first senior international title came on June 18, 2016, as Portugal won the European Championship final against France in extra time.\n\nRonaldo scored his first World Cup hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain on June 15, 2018, Portugal's opening match in Russia. He helped Portugal win the inaugural Nations League title on September 8, 2020, with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final. Ronaldo reached the 100 international goal mark on June 9, 2019, with a 2-0 win over Sweden in the Nations League.\n\nOn June 15, 2021, Ronaldo became the leading scorer at the European Championships, surpassing Michel Platini's previous record of nine goals with a brace against Hungary. He broke the men's international scoring record on September 1, 2021, with two goals in a 2-1 win over Ireland, surpassing Ali Daei's previous record of 109 goals. Ronaldo became the first man to score at five World Cups on November 24, 2022, scoring a penalty kick against Ghana in a 3-2 victory.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Cristiano Ronaldo Jr earns first Portugal Under-17 call-up",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/cristiano-ronaldo-jr-earns-first-portugal-under-17-call-up",
        "published": "2026-11-03T07:38:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible numbers for Portugal 🤯🔥",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/cristiano-ronaldos-incredible-numbers-for-portugal",
        "published": "2026-11-05T11:07:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Ronaldo retires from Portugal duty",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/ronaldo-retires-from-portugal-duty",
        "published": "2026-11-05T11:17:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Island Sri Lanka",
        "title": "Ronaldo retires from Portugal duty",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/ronaldo-retires-from-portugal-duty-18297134",
        "published": "2026-11-05T11:19:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Ronaldo retires from Portugal national team",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/ronaldo-retires-from-portugal-national-team",
        "published": "2026-11-05T12:10:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Cristiano Ronaldo retires: 10 record-breaking numbers from his 23-year career",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/cristiano-ronaldo-retires-10-record-breaking-numbers-from-his-23-year",
        "published": "2026-11-05T12:23:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "FULL TEXT: Ronaldo’s retirement letter to Portugal fans",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/full-text-ronaldos-retirement-letter-to-portugal-fans",
        "published": "2026-11-05T13:34:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}