Ronaldo's most iconic moments as he retires from international football — SkimNews
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- Cristiano Ronaldo declared his Portugal international career over at 41 but will continue playing for Al-Nassr, with his stated goal of 1,000 career goals sitting 15 beyond his 985.
- Ronaldo passed Ali Daei’s 109-goal men’s international record with two late headers against the Republic of Ireland in 2021 and finished on 146 goals in 234 caps, also the record for international appearances.
- Portugal won the European Championship by beating hosts France 1-0 in Paris in 2016; the injured Ronaldo took on an unofficial coaching role, contributed three goals and three assists, and retired as the Euros’ all-time top scorer with 14.
- Ronaldo joined Manchester United for £12m five days after scoring twice against Sporting in a 2003 preseason friendly, then scored in the 2007 FA Cup final against Millwall and won the Premier League in 2006-07.
- Ronaldo became the first player to win five Champions Leagues—one with Manchester United in 2008 and four with Real Madrid—and finished with a record 141 goals in 187 appearances.
- Ronaldo became Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer with his 324th goal in 2015 and finished his 438-game spell with 450 goals; signature strikes included the 40-yard Puskas winner against Porto and a 2018 bicycle kick against Juventus.
- Ronaldo became the first player to score 900 top-level career goals when Portugal beat Croatia in 2024, though the retrospective says his later club years yielded fewer “truly magic” moments than his earlier peak.
Why it matters: Ronaldo’s Portugal exit leaves Al-Nassr carrying the 1,000-goal chase: he has 985, needs 15 more, and Messi stands on 931. The retrospective also tempers the milestone narrative by noting that Ronaldo’s later club years produced fewer signature moments despite continued reaching milestones.
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