Cristiano Ronaldo is officially done with international soccer. Yeah, you read that right. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward shared his decision in a video across his social media platforms, bringing an end to his historic run with the Portuguese national team.
The Clash That Led to the Exit
This shocker didn’t come out of nowhere, though. It all went down just over a month ago when he walked away from the national team mid-camp, reportedly due to a major clash with head coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo didn’t hold back, releasing an extensive letter explaining his decision where he claimed that “The coach had broken his word to me.” This is a massive moment for international soccer. We’re talking about a five-time Ballon d’Or winner with an incredible 234 appearances and 146 international goals for Portugal. He is now solely focused on Al-Nassr.
Mourinho Weighs In on “Retirement” and Future
His former head coach at Real Madrid, José Mourinho, now in his second stint leading the Spanish giants, quickly weighed in on Ronaldo’s abrupt international retirement and his future. Mourinho said his decision should be respected, and he absolutely respects it. But here’s the kicker: Mourinho doesn’t see this as a full “retirement” from his career. “This is not a retirement, his career hasn’t ended,” Mourinho stated. He believes anyone who truly knows Ronaldo knows he “still has goals he wants to achieve in his career.” Mourinho even expressed a hope that “when the day finally comes for him to retire as a football player, it will be a different kind of day than yesterday was.”
As for whether we might see Ronaldo become a coach one day, Mourinho couldn’t say. He thinks it’s “too early to even speculate” on that front, reminding everyone that Ronaldo is “still a football player.” Ronaldo definitely has more time on the pitch, having signed a two-year contract extension with Al-Nassr back in the summer of 2025, which means he’ll have one full season remaining after the current campaign wraps up. He is aiming for a second Saudi Pro League title this season, along with a first career AFC Champions League.
Al-Nassr’s Hot Streak and the Chase for 1,000
Ronaldo’s focus is clearly paying off for Al-Nassr. Under former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, they sit third in the league table after 11 games, just two points behind leaders Al-Hilal. Their only defeat of the season so far was a narrow 2-1 loss against Al-Ittihad back on September 5. Since then, Postecoglou’s side has been on fire, currently riding an impressive seven-game win streak across all competitions.
And Ronaldo himself? He’s still a scoring machine, finding the back of the net nine times in 12 appearances this season. That includes a hat-trick in their dominant 5-3 win against Al-Kholood in their most recent league fixture. He’s also chasing history, aiming for 1,000 career goals and currently sitting at an astounding 985. Al-Nassr’s next challenge is against second-placed Al Qadsiah on November 20, after the upcoming international break. Meanwhile, a Ronaldo-less Portugal, coached by Jorge Jesus, will conclude its UEFA Nations League group campaign against Denmark and Wales during that break. They’ve won all four of their group games and are looking to defend their 2025 crown.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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