An unused sub, a walkout, a 30-day ban, then goodbye: How Cristiano Ronaldo’s 234-game Portugal career ended after a row with his coach

Cristiano Ronaldo's 23-year journey with Portugal has come to an end. Ronaldo's decision follows a few weeks for the 41-year-old marked by a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus, a walkout from the national team camp, and a 30-day suspension. Ronaldo leaves behind a record of 146 goals in 234 appearances. Ronaldo announced his retirement a day before Jesus was expected to name Portugal’s squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales.

What led to Ronaldo’s fallout with Jorge Jesus

Tensions came to a head after Ronaldo was left on the bench during Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League win over Norway on October 4. That was the time, in 18 years that Ronaldo had finished a Portugal match without making an appearance. Ronaldo had reportedly expected to get around 30 minutes on the pitch, but Jesus never sent him on. The forward later accused his former Al Nassr coach of going back on promises about his playing time and how he would explain the decision publicly.


His frustration became clear after the final whistle. Instead of staying with his teammates to applaud the travelling fans, Ronaldo headed straight to the dressing room and left the team camp.

He later apologised to his fellow players for walking out, but did not apologise to Jesus. The Portuguese Football Federation subsequently handed him a 30-day suspension.

Ronaldo had previously made it clear that he wanted to continue playing for Portugal. His decision to retire has therefore brought an unexpected end to the dispute. The inputs are taken from ESPN.

Here's how people are reacting to his retirement:

Ronaldo's Emotional Goodbye to Portugal

Ronaldo shared the news in a lengthy video on Instagram, saying it was time to return the famous No. 7 shirt to the national team.

"To the Portuguese people, the day has come to hand back the number seven shirt of the national team that belongs to us all. I never felt it was exclusively mine," he said.

He admitted that walking away was not easy. It was a decision that involved more than just thinking about his future.

Looking back on his journey, Ronaldo said: "A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever is coming to an end."

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A Legacy That Goes Beyond the Numbers

Ronaldo's Portugal career included some of the country's biggest football achievements. He captained the team to its first European Championship title in 2016 and later lifted the Nations League trophy in 2019 and 2025. He also took time to thank the players and coaches who shared the journey with him. "No captain walks alone and you're all part of my story," he said.


The Portuguese Football Federation praised his contribution and said it would organise a tribute to celebrate his career.

Although his time with Portugal is over, Ronaldo is not retiring from club football. He will continue playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and remains in pursuit of 1,000 career goals. He currently has 985, with 146 of them scored for his country.