A bitter end for Ronaldo - the icon who transformed Portugal — SkimNews
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- Cristiano Ronaldo announced his international retirement at 41 after 23 years, following fallout with coach Jorge Jesus that brought a 30-day sanction—already served—and a €255 fine for leaving camp without permission.
- Jorge Jesus kept Ronaldo on the bench for one match and said he did not plan to start him in the next, prompting him to go home; Ronaldo’s last appearance came on 24 September against Wales.
- Portugal recorded Ronaldo’s final international line of 146 goals in 234 games; the source credits him with the most goals for any national side and the most appearances in Portugal’s shirt.
- Fernando Santos coached Ronaldo as a centre forward beside Nani in 2016; Ronaldo told Nani he trusted the coach, the dressing room began to see a real captain, and Portugal won its first European Championship.
- Portugal won the Nations League in 2019 after Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Switzerland and again in 2025, when he lifted the second title at an age when most players have retired.
- Roberto Martinez oversaw Ronaldo’s 28 goals in 37 games at 0.756 per match, better than his 0.624 rate under Santos; Ronaldo also continued to start up front at the difficult 2026 World Cup.
- Portugal’s federation announced a special tribute after Ronaldo’s exit, while the disciplinary ending left fans without room for the celebration they wanted to be part of.
Why it matters: Portugal’s national team loses the player it credits with 146 goals in 234 caps, its record goalscorer and most-capped player, while the federation’s special tribute recognizes that he made tournament contention the baseline. His final status was already changing: Jorge Jesus had stopped treating him as an automatic starter.
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