Legendary and world celebrated Portuguese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, has announced his retirement from international football.
The 41-year-old announced he is quitting the Portuguese national team in a social media post on Thursday.
The announcement comes a month after he walked out of the Portugal camp after falling out with Jorge Jesus, Portugal head coach, when the manager refused to use him in a Nations League match.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in the video announcing his retirement.
“I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world.
“Today the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone – they are also made with the heart.
“A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end.”
Ronaldo played 234 times for Portugal and scored 146 goals, which makes him the country’s all-time leading goalscorer.
He captained the national team for 19 years and lifted a European Championship trophy and two Nations League titles.
