ไทย
English
中國人
The international soccer community was stunned on Thursday by the news of Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from the Portuguese national team.
While supporters acknowledged that the 41-year-old was approaching an unavoidable conclusion, the manner and timing of his departure came as a genuine shock. Just last September, he had cited winning the UEFA Nations League as one of his remaining career "missions."
Reports had even anticipated Ronaldo's inclusion in Portugal's squad for the November international window, only for the Al Nassr forward to remove himself from consideration by announcing his retirement in an emotional five-minute video.
So, what prompted this change of mind from a player who, by all accounts, had not been planning to step away at this stage of his career?
The Reasons for Ronaldo's International Retirement
Officially, Ronaldo has offered no explanation beyond "it is time." Unofficially, however, the signs have been building over recent months.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star openly admitted in September that he had contemplated stepping away from Portugal duty after the World Cup, having netted three goals while failing to guide the team past the round of 16 in what was widely expected to be his final tournament appearance.
"I had a conversation with our president, with our coach," Ronaldo explained just under six weeks before his retirement. "I still believe that I'm able to help the national team to reach what they want, and will finish when I feel like I'm not doing anything here."
Clearly, Ronaldo now feels he is no longer "doing anything." Whether that conclusion was reached independently is an entirely separate matter.
It was Portugal's new head coach, Jorge Jesus, who persuaded Ronaldo to extend his international career, but the initially positive dynamic between the two quickly deteriorated following a falling out during the September-October international break.
Ronaldo departed camp over what he perceived as broken promises from Jesus, stemming from being left on the bench during a 2–1 victory over Norway. Ronaldo had been sent to warm up during the match, but Jesus ultimately chose not to bring him on.
Jesus was reportedly expected to issue a public apology to Ronaldo, but none ever came. Instead, Jesus adopted a more assertive stance. "I can promise whatever I want, I'm the coach," he stated. "No player will ever make a decision for me."
Ronaldo received a brief suspension for his behavior, along with a relatively minor fine. Jesus made clear he would welcome the 41-year-old back into the squad should he wish to continue, but it now appears that Ronaldo's final Portugal outing will remain a scoreless 67-minute performance against Wales on Sept. 24, 2026.