Written by Oyekunle Oyelayo Evans
The 5th of November 2026, marks the end of an era. After 23 years of carrying the Portuguese emblem and badge, Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro has called it quits in the Portuguese National Team.
Ronaldo will forever remain the legendary hero of the Portuguese national team for the impacts he had on the team and the country itself. He did not just play for Portugal, he became Portugal. For over two decades, whenever the world heard the name Portugal, the first face that came to mind was Cristiano Ronaldo.
THE BEGINNING: GLOOMY AND BLURRY
Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal on the 20th of August 2003 against Kazakhstan at just 18 years old. He was a young boy from Madeira with big dreams and bigger talent.
His first major tournament was the Euro 2004 on home soil. He scored his first international goal against Greece, cried after losing the final to that same Greece, and showed the world that a star had been born.
He was also part of the Portuguese team that was knocked out in the 2006 World Cup semi-final by France. It was a painful defeat, but it was the beginning of a journey that would define a generation.
The beginning of Ronaldo’s years at the Portuguese national team were quite gloomy and blurry. There were tears, disappointments, and heartbreaks. Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012, World Cup 2014 – year after year, Ronaldo gave everything, but the trophy refused to come.
Many doubted him. Many said he could never win anything with Portugal. But Ronaldo never stopped believing.
THE GLORY: EURO 2016
After many years of hard work and consistency, in the 2016 Euros, Portugal emerged as European Champions after a 1-0 victory over France in the final of the competition, and the team was captained and led by Cristiano Ronaldo, leading Portugal to their first-ever international silverware in Portuguese history.
He was injured in the final after just 25 minutes, but he refused to leave. He stood on the touchline, shouting, crying, coaching, and pushing his teammates until Eder scored the winning goal in extra time. That night, a whole nation cried with joy. Portugal was no longer a team without a trophy. Portugal was a champion.
THE SECOND TROPHY: NATIONS LEAGUE 2019
Ronaldo led the Portuguese national team to win the UEFA Nations League in 2019, recording the second Portuguese international trophy. In the semi-final against Switzerland, he scored a stunning hat-trick. In the final, Portugal beat the Netherlands 1-0 in Porto. Once again, the captain lifted the trophy.
THE RECORD BREAKER
In September 2021, Ronaldo broke the world record for international goals, surpassing Ali Daei’s 109 goals. He went on to become the first man to reach 200 caps, the first man to score at five World Cups, and later, the first man to score at six World Cups.
He became the all-time top scorer in men’s international football. He became the most-capped player in men’s international football. No one has done it before, and no one may ever do it again.
THE THIRD TROPHY: NATIONS LEAGUE 2025
In spite of these victories, Ronaldo never stopped fighting for the Portuguese badge, and the passion for the Portuguese national team later paid off when he lifted another Nations League trophy in 2025, making it the 3rd silverware for the Portuguese national team.
At 40 years old, when many had written him off, he scored in the final against Spain and lifted the trophy again. It was proof that age is just a number when the heart still beats for the badge.
THE FINAL DANCE: WORLD CUP 2026
His final World Cup in 2026 was his sixth. He became the only player in history to play and score in six World Cups. He scored 3 goals, including a brace against Uzbekistan and his first-ever World Cup knockout goal against Croatia.
Portugal’s journey ended in the Round of 16 against Spain, but Ronaldo left the World Cup with his head held high – with his conscience clear, knowing he gave it his all.
THE LEGACY
Ronaldo retires with:
– 234 caps – World Record
– 146 goals – World Record
– 141 wins
– 3 major trophies – Euro 2016, Nations League 2019, Nations League 2025
– 6 World Cups, 6 Euros
– 14 Euro goals – All-time record
He turned Portugal from a team that had only qualified for 3 World Cups before him into a team that qualified for every tournament for 23 years straight. He turned Portugal from contenders into champions.
He may not have won the World Cup, but he won something bigger – the hearts of an entire nation, and the respect of the whole world.
OBRIGADO, CAPITAO. OBRIGADO, LENDARIO.
Portugal will never forget you.
The No. 7 shirt will never be the same again.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Forever The Hero of Portugal.
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