Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international soccer, ending a record-setting 23-year career with Portugal. The 41-year-old had already made what proved to be his final appearance for the national team.
Ronaldo previously said the 2026 World Cup would be his final appearance in the tournament, but he continued playing for Portugal after its 1-0 loss to Spain in the round of 16. He returned for the start of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League in September.
Ronaldo’s final appearance for Portugal came Sept. 24, when he started a 1-0 Nations League victory over Wales in Lisbon. Three days later, he remained on the bench throughout a 2-1 win at Norway. He left the national-team
camp Sept. 30 after coach Jorge Jesus indicated he would not start the following match against Denmark, beginning a public dispute over his playing time.
The departure escalated a dispute with Jesus. Ronaldo accused the coach of breaking assurances about his playing time, an account Jesus disputed. The Portuguese Football Federation later suspended Ronaldo for 30 days and fined him €255 for leaving camp without permission. Ronaldo apologized to his teammates and supporters and said at the time that he remained available for selection.
Ahead of Portugal’s November Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales, Ronaldo announced that his 23-year international career had reached its end.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cristiano Ronaldo's last Portugal match already happened. When did he play?
