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From Madeira, Manchester, Madrid to immortality: CR7 walks off, into people's hearts

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner concluded a 23-year international run after Portugal's Round of 16 loss on July 6, where the 41-year-old set a record as the oldest player in a World Cup knockout match. He leaves as the all-time men's leader in international caps and goals, having netted 146 times across 234 matches since his 2003 debut. Ronaldo will continue competing for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr through the end of the current season. As he finishes his club career, he is actively pursuing the historic milestone of reaching 1,000 career goals.

Key points

  • Ronaldo leaves the international stage holding the all-time men's records for both nation…: Ronaldo leaves the international stage holding the all-time men's records for both national team appearances and goals scored.
  • Portugal secured their first-ever major trophies under his captaincy, winning the 2016 Eu…: Portugal secured their first-ever major trophies under his captaincy, winning the 2016 European Championship and two Nations League titles.
  • He will finish his club career with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr this season while attempting…: He will finish his club career with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr this season while attempting to push his total from 985 to 1,000 career goals.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The iconic 'Siu' celebration will no longer ring out on the international stage. Not all curtain calls are happy spectacles, a packed arena cheering the last hurrah of a performer par excellence. Cristiano Ronaldo had his floodlit moments in the cauldrons of Stade de France, Porto, Gelsenkirchen, Luzhniki, Wembley, the Bernabeu or Munich's Allianz Arena.

On Thursday, Portugal's superstar announced his intention to retire from the country's national team in a social media post, bringing an end to one of the most illustrious careers in all football history. "The day has come back for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team," he wrote in an 866-word message. "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 ... A journey that began in Aug 2003 and changed my life forever has come to an end. When I look…

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