Ronaldo shares farewell video: ‘Portugal will always be a part of me’
Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has announced his departure from the national team and shared a farewell video on Instagram, Qazinform News Agency reports.
“Portugal will always be a part of me,” Ronaldo wrote alongside the video, in which he read an emotional letter.
“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 said.
Notably, Ronaldo’s career with Portugal’s senior national team began with a match against Kazakhstan. On August 20, 2003, the 18-year-old made his debut for Portugal as a second-half substitute in a friendly, which Portugal won 1-0.
During his international career, Ronaldo made 234 appearances for Portugal, scoring 146 goals and providing 20 assists. He holds the records for the most appearances and goals for a national team in men’s international football.
With Portugal, he won the 2016 UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League twice, in the 2018-19 and 2024-25 seasons.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2008 Ballon d’Or triumph finished ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 victory in the “Ballon d’Or of All Time” public poll.
