Cristiano Ronaldo retires from Portugal duty: Top five moments from his international career
Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday. | Photo Credit: AP
Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on Thursday. | Photo Credit: AP
Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he is retiring from international football. Here are five moments from his Portugal career, beginning with the match in which it started.
1. A debut against Kazakhstan
Date: 20 August 2003
Venue: Estadio Municipal de Chaves, Chaves, Portugal
The 18-year-old came on for Rui Costa at half-time in a friendly against Kazakhstan. Portugal won 1-0 through a Simao Sabrosa goal; Ronaldo’s first appearance came just days after his move to Manchester United.
2. Portugal wins Euro 2016
Date: 10 July 2016
Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
Cristiano Ronaldo lifted the Euro 2016 trophy after Portugal beat France 1-0 in the final at the Stade de France. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Cristiano Ronaldo lifted the Euro 2016 trophy after Portugal beat France 1-0 in the final at the Stade de France. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Ronaldo’s final against host France lasted only 25 minutes before an injury forced him off. He watched from the touchline as Eder scored in extra time to give Portugal a 1-0 win and its first major international trophy.
3. A first Nations League title
Date: 9 June 2019
Venue: Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal to a 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the inaugural Nations League final in Porto. | Photo Credit: AP
Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal to a 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the inaugural Nations League final in Porto. | Photo Credit: AP
Ronaldo captained Portugal against the Netherlands in the inaugural Nations League final. Gonçalo Guedes scored the only goal on the hour, adding a second international trophy to the one Portugal had won in France three years earlier.
4. The international goals record
Date: 1 September 2021
Venue: Estadio do Algarve, Faro-Loule, Portugal
With Portugal trailing the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, Ronaldo scored twice late on to secure a 2-1 win. His first goal took him past Ali Daei’s record for goals in men’s international football; the second brought his Portugal tally to 111.
5. Portugal wins the Nations League second time
Date: 8 June 2025
Venue: Munich Football Arena (Allianz Arena), Munich, Germany
Ronaldo volleyed in a 61st-minute equaliser against Spain to make it 2-2. The score held through extra time, and Portugal won 5-3 on penalties to become the first country to claim two Nations League titles.
Published on Nov 05, 2026
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