Ronaldo Confirms Portugal Retirement After November Fixtures

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that he will retire from the Portuguese national team once the November internationals are over. The decision brings the curtain down on one of the most decorated careers the national side has ever produced.

Ronaldo leaves with 234 caps and 146 goals, figures that already put him at the top of the all-time lists for both appearances and goals in men's international football. For a player who has carried Portugal's attack for more than two decades, the numbers tell only part of the story.

He also said he plans to give up the No. 7 shirt, the number he has worn for his country and made synonymous with its biggest nights. Handing it back will mark the clearest sign yet that a generation of Portuguese football is moving on.

Portugal now faces the task of rebuilding its attacking identity without the player who has defined it for so long. The November fixtures will be his last opportunities to add to a record that already looks likely to stand for years.