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Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has revealed that he urged Cristiano Ronaldo to extend his international career through 2027, though the legendary forward has ultimately chosen to step away.
The 41-year-old retires from international duty after an extraordinary career spanning 23 years, leaving behind all-time world records of 146 goals and 234 caps since making his senior debut in 2003.
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His departure brings a controversial end to his time with the national team, following an incident in September where he walked out of Portugal’s training camp after being informed he would start on the bench for a UEFA Nations League match against Denmark. The incident resulted in a 30-day suspension and a £215 fine.
Although Ronaldo had previously expressed a desire to continue playing for his country, he reversed course as Portugal prepares for its upcoming November fixtures without him.
“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo announced in a video message.
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“I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and carrying it with me into stadiums around the world.”
He added: “Today the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone—they are also made with the heart.”
