Cristiano Ronaldo's long Portugal goodbye leaves complicated legacy

Ronaldo retires from international football after 23 years and 146 goals, leaving a complicated legacy as Portugal's greatest player but ending his career in undignified fashion.

Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football at 41, ending a 23-year career with Portugal that saw him become the nation's all-time leading goalscorer with 146 goals across 234 caps. His departure came three months before his 42nd birthday, more than four years after the beginning of the end in Qatar 2022 when Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Switzerland, signalling Ronaldo's diminishing role.

Ronaldo's final act was an undignified exit from the Portuguese camp last month after being left unused as a substitute against Norway. He subsequently posted a 2,000-word Instagram statement demanding manager Jorge Jesus apologise for benching him, comparing his treatment to that of Pelé or Maradona. The Portuguese FA suspended him for 30 days and fined him £215.

Despite the poor ending, Ronaldo's international record is extraordinary. He is Portugal's only captain to win a major trophy, lifting Euro 2016 despite going off injured in the final. He scored in six World Cups and is the only player to do so, though only one knockout goal came from open play. His 146 goals are 99 clear of Portugal's second-highest scorer. Yet his final years saw him become a burden on the team, with his only open-play goals in his last three major tournaments coming against Uzbekistan, and he infamously tried to claim a goal Bruno Fernandes scored at the 2022 World Cup.