Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From Portugal One Day Before Finding Out Whether He Made the Squad

LISBON — Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from Portugal’s national team on Thursday morning, ending a 23-year international career with 234 caps and 146 goals, both records in men’s international football, and sparing himself roughly 24 hours of waiting to see whether head coach Jorge Jesus would call him up.

Ronaldo, 41, made the announcement in a video of about five minutes posted to his social media accounts, according to RTP and A Bola, in which he read a farewell letter to the country. Jesus is scheduled to name his squad on Friday for Portugal’s last Nations League group matches. The roster will now be announced with one fewer name to argue about.

“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said in the video, as quoted by NBC Sports and Euronews. “Portugal will always be in me,” he said, according to Sky Sports.

The timing followed a falling-out with Jesus, who was hired after the World Cup. Ronaldo was left on the bench for a Nations League match against Norway, then left the national team’s training camp, and the Portuguese Football Federation opened disciplinary proceedings against him, NBC Sports and Sky Sports reported. His final appearance for Portugal turned out to be a 1-0 Nations League win over Wales on September 24, according to Euronews and RTP.

That leaves the most-capped player in the history of men’s international football with a final international record that reads, in order: six World Cups, the Euro 2016 title, two Nations League titles, a 1-0 win over Wales, and a seat on the bench against Norway.

The federation said it holds Ronaldo in “deep gratitude and immense admiration,” according to Euronews, and announced plans for a tribute match. Federation president Pedro Proença said its doors will always remain open to him, A Bola reported. Ronaldo told Proença of his decision ahead of time but did not tell Jesus, according to A Bola and the radio station TSF. Jesus had intended to call him up for Friday’s squad, O Jogo and Bola na Rede reported, which means Ronaldo has left a team he was about to be named to.

Ronaldo made his international debut in August 2003 and played in 12 major tournaments, according to Sky Sports. Portugal will co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Morocco, which many had assumed would be reason enough for him to keep going until he was 45.

He is not retiring from football. Ronaldo continues to play for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where, according to Euronews, he is still pursuing his 1,000th career goal. In his statement, Ronaldo said Jesus had promised him 30 minutes against Norway and then left him on the bench, Sky Sports reported. At Al-Nassr, he is expected to keep getting more than 30 minutes.

Jesus is still scheduled to name his squad on Friday.