Ronaldo retires: Portugal's undisputed icon with a tainted legacy

On Thursday morning, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed that he'd made the difficult decision to retire from international football. "A journey that began in August 2003, and changed my life forever," he wrote on Instagram, "has come to an end."

The frustration, of course, is that it has belatedly concluded in such sad circumstances, with Ronaldo still technically serving a 30-day suspension from the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) for walking out on the national team before October's Nations League meeting with Denmark in Copenhagen, after a spectacular falling out with coach Jorge Jesus.

However, no sooner had Ronaldo announced his intention to call time on his Seleccao career than the FPF stated that it has no intention of allowing the man with the most goals and appearances in international football to bow out in such ignominious fashion.

"It is our firm and immense desire to organise, plan, participate and actively collaborate in what will always be a fitting tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo's immense career, in which fans and the country can applaud and celebrate, once again, the player who has given us so much," the FPF said in a statement that strongly suggests a farewell game is a formality.

Say what you will about Ronaldo, but a spectacular send-off on home soil is the least he deserves, because few footballers have ever served their country so well.

A star is born

Portugal has a long and proud history of producing world-class players, from Eusebio to Paulo Futre, and the two most successful members of its 'Golden Generation', Luis Figo and Rui Costa, were both still representing the national team when Ronaldo made his debut.

It quickly became clear, though, that the skinny, fleet-footed winger was different to all of those that came before him. And it wasn't so much a question of talent - even though Ronaldo had plenty. It was more about his insatiable will to win that fuelled a relentless pursuit of perfection.

"I've never seen a player hungrier than him," Rui Costa once told Tuttosport. "I played alongside Cristiano at the Euros in 2004 and he was just a kid. But we all knew that he would become a Ballon d'Or winner."

Ronaldo's remarkable drive didn't just propel him to the upper echelons of the game, though; he dragged Portugal with him. Before he came along, the Seleccao's best result at a major international tournament was a Eusebio-inspired third-placed finish at the 1966 World Cup. A matter of months after his first appearance for Portugal, Ronaldo had helped them reach the final of Euro 2004, with his thrilling performances earning him inclusion in the Team of the Tournament at just 19. Two years later, he played his part in Portugal reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in Germany.

Truth be told, Ronaldo never really produced the kind of show-stopping performances he was capable of on the game's grandest stage. There was a stunning hat-trick against Sweden in the 2014 play-offs, and another against Spain at Russia 2018, while he's the only man to have scored at six World Cup tournaments - but that piece of trivia is more a reflection of his remarkable longevity than any meaningful impact made on the tournament itself. As has been repeatedly pointed out, he only managed one goal in the knockout stage, and even that was a penalty against Croatia earlier this year.

It is very easy to argue, though, that Ronaldo is the greatest player in the history of the European Championship.

Dream come true

Ronaldo's most recent appearance at the Euros, in 2024, may have been a disaster, but he holds the finals records for most goals (14) and most assists (seven). What meant more than anything else to Ronaldo, though, was lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy in the summer of 2016.

At no point during the tournament in France that Portugal look like potential winners. Indeed, they only got out of the group stage for two reasons. The first was the format, which allowed third-placed finishers to progress. The second was Ronaldo, who simply refused to admit defeat in his country's final group game against Hungary, with the skipper twice drawing Fernando Santos' side level in a 3-3 draw in Lyon that allowed the Selecao to scrape into the knockout stage.

Portugal continued to flatter to deceive against both Croatia and Poland, but Ronaldo rose to the occasion - quite literally - by scoring a typically towering header in the semi-final defeat of Wales. Even then, few expected the Seleccao to defeat host nation France in the final - and especially not after Ronaldo was forced off injured just 25 minutes into the first half.

However, with Ronaldo cheering them on from the sidelines after becoming Santos' de facto assistant, Portugal once again found a way to win, thanks to an injury-time strike from Eder, and a magnificent rearguard action led by Pepe.

"This is a unique moment for me," an emotional Ronaldo said afterwards. "This is something I've wanted for a long time now. It's unforgettable."

Remarkable journey

Even for 'Mr. Champions League', securing silverware with the Seleccao really did represent the ultimate achievement - which is why even winning the much-maligned Nations League (twice) meant so much to Ronaldo.

"I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than lifting a trophy for Portugal," he said after the second of those triumphs, in Germany last year. "So, there are tears, because it's a case of duty done."

The frustrating thing is, of course, that the penalty shootout success over Spain would have been a great time for Ronaldo to walk away from the national team. It had been clear since the 2022 World Cup that he could no longer cut it at the very highest level, making this year's disappointment in North America painfully predictable. Consequently, he's tarnished his own international legacy, because his retirement wasn't just long overdue, it was desperately undignified.

However, while he's made it difficult to forget the unsurprisingly petulant nature of his exit, what he achieved during his 23 years in the international arena will be remembered forever.

Ronaldo wrote himself into the record books. His place in football history is secure. The journey may not have ended as he would have liked, but it lasted longer than anyone else would have thought humanly possible.