Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal’s polarising icon and his bitter final act

An inviting volley blazed over the bar, a trademark free kick clattering into the wall, and a showman’s celebrations cut short by an offside goal.

In many ways, the frustrations Cristiano Ronaldo endured in his final match for Portugal reflected his long-altered reality – one of football’s most devastating players had become a liability.

For many, Ronaldo’s fall from grace could hardly be crueller.

The boy from Madeira captivated the world for years with his jaw-dropping talent, age-defying athleticism and larger-than-life personality. Yet the final chapter of his international career had anything but a fairytale ending – a forgettable climax to an otherwise illustrious journey.

Ronaldo has walked away from the national team with individual achievements most footballers can only dream of: the all-time record for international appearances (234) and goals (146).

“Portugal will always be a part of me,” the 41-year-old said in a five-minute video shared on Thursday, bidding goodbye to the team he first played for in 2003.

But his international retirement was hardly a surprise.

In the weeks leading up to his announcement, Ronaldo had been at the centre of a controversy, leaving fans and critics wondering if that was the end of the road for Portugal’s longstanding captain.

The forward’s waning influence on the field, a public rift with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus and a near 2,000-word statement after a dramatic mid-camp walkout were the perfect recipe for worldwide football gossip – and ultimately, retirement.

“He wanted the manager to go out and say ‘I’ve put a player on the bench at the calibre of Pele and [Diego] Maradona,'” ex-Liverpool player-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher said on The Overlap podcast.

“How do you say that about yourself? It’s mad, isn’t it?”

Ronaldo’s declining impact for Portugal

For more than two decades, Ronaldo made himself impossible to ignore in a Portugal shirt. He brought home the Selecao’s first major trophy, the Euro 2016 crown, before adding two Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

But the tide had begun to turn in 2022.

After being celebrated as a hero, Ronaldo slowly transitioned into the villain during the World Cup in Qatar. A lack of goals saw him dropped to the bench in two crucial knockout games, while his performances and attitude drew criticism as Portugal were sent packing in the quarterfinals.

The script repeated itself at Euro 2024 before the FIFA World Cup 2026 marked his final appearance on the sport’s biggest stage – the forward scoring three times, including his first and only World Cup knockout goal.

He bowed out of the biggest World Cup in North America as the first player to score in six editions, but those personal landmarks never translated into the trophy he sought. Portugal lost to eventual champions Spain in the last 16, and with that, Ronaldo’s dream of being crowned a world champion remained unfulfilled.

“I won Euro 2016 and, for me, that’s just as important as the World Cup. It will stay with me forever,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said this year, seemingly making peace with the bitter ending.

A household name

For much of his career, Ronaldo drew constant comparisons with Argentinian legend Lionel Messi; the duo igniting the debate for the “greatest of all time” (GOAT). It was, thus, rather poetic that Ronaldo followed Messi’s suit in hanging up his boots at the international level.

But there is a striking contrast in their farewells. Messi’s send-off was marked with celebrations after he guided Argentina to a second straight World Cup final. Ronaldo, on the other hand, is leaving the scene after a rather tense span in the Portugal camp, and probably without a proper goodbye on the field.

Nonetheless, Ronaldo’s announcement drew an outpouring of affection from fans and figures across the football fraternity.

Often described as a childhood idol by several teammates at club or country, Ronaldo is one of the most famous people on the planet.

Walk around your nearest park, and you’re likely to spot a kid dressed in a “Ronaldo 7” jersey, kicking a ball around.

A commercial powerhouse for his national team and clubs alike, Ronaldo’s popularity transcended sports.

“Few ‌players have ever touched the heart of football fans around the world quite like Cristiano,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said about him.

“A career defined by extraordinary talent, relentless determination and an unwavering desire to push the boundaries of what is possible.”

Ronaldo has always divided opinions

But with fame comes increased scrutiny.

While his tricks and skills earned him the honour of one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo’s on-field antics and perceived arrogance divided opinion in the football world.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, ex-Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag discussed his issues involving Ronaldo, alleging that the forward pulled out of training sessions during his second spell at the club and failed to raise his heart rate to the required level when he did train.

“I confronted him with this. Many times, I say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score’,” Ten Hag said.

“He was not capable to do this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself.

“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team,” Ten Hag added.

While some saw Ronaldo as the icon who transformed Portuguese football, others questioned his individualism.

The debate over how best to define him will continue for years, but one thing is certain: Ronaldo’s complex legacy is perhaps summed up by his former club Man United’s famous slogan: “Hated, adored, never ignored”.