Ronaldo ends 23-year Portugal run
The Al-Nassr striker retires as the all-time international record holder for caps and goals after a tense exit from the national squad.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he is retiring from international football. The 41-year-old forward for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr concluded a 23-year tenure with the Portugal national team. His departure ends one of the most celebrated careers in the sport. Ronaldo holds the world records for both appearances and goals scored for a single nation.
His statistics define the era of modern international soccer. Ronaldo earned 234 caps and scored 146 goals for Portugal. As team captain, he guided the nation to a title at Euro 2016. He also contributed to Portugal's victories in the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025. These records stand as the global benchmarks for international play.
The decision followed public friction between Ronaldo and head coach Jorge Jesus. The tension became evident several weeks ago. In September, Ronaldo left the national squad. This strained relationship appears to have been the primary factor in his decision to step down. The move closes a chapter defined by his long-standing presence in the national setup.
European club competitions provided a backdrop to the announcement. In the Europa League, Olympique de Marseille secured a 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. Amine Gouiri scored the decisive goal for the French side. Lyon also played in the competition, drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad. Corentin Tolisso equalized for Lyon to ensure a share of the points.
AS Monaco maintained its perfect start in the Conference League. The team defeated Danish club Nordsjaelland by a score of 2-0. This result marked Monaco's third win in three matches. In EuroLeague basketball, Paris Basketball defeated Anadolu Efes 95-90. Nadir Hifi led the effort with 28 points and 9 assists.
ASVEL faced a setback in the same basketball league, losing 95-99 to Bayern Munich. In tennis, the Rolex Paris Masters saw several French players exit in the last 16 round. Arthur Fils lost to Taylor Fritz, 6-3, 6-4. Quentin Halys and Arthur Rinderknech also failed to advance. Luca Van Assche remains the sole French representative in the quarter-finals after defeating Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
French athletes also competed in youth events during the period. Mady Sow won a silver medal in badminton at the Summer Youth Olympics. Mana Ishikawa claimed a fourth gold medal in swimming. These results add to the diverse performance of French competitors across various sports this week.
