Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football.
The 41-year-old has opted to walk away following a major falling-out with national team boss Jorge Jesus during the last international break.
Ronaldo left the squad in Copenhagen on the eve of their Nations League clash with Denmark having been left on the bench for the previous clash with Norway. He was fined €255 (£215; $286) and given a 30-day ban by the Portuguese Football Federation.
And he decided on Thursday that he would walk away from the international game.
“The day has come back for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “I never felt it belonged to me alone. But for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world.
“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.
“A journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end. When I look back at everything with the national team, I don’t just see the matches, goals, records or trophies.
“I see people. I see the Portuguese people living abroad who, for 90 minutes, felt a little closer to home. I see millions of Portuguese people I have never met but who became part of my life. Because at the end of the day, football is so much bigger than a game. Football is about people.”
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