Ronaldo in records: International milestones from the football icon

Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football , where he has left an indelible mark as one of the sport’s greatest players. The 41-year-old, who has played 234 times for Portugal and scored 146 goals, holds the all-time record for international appearances and international goals. Ronaldo made his senior debut for Portugal aged 18 in a friendly against Kazakhstan, coming on as a half-time substitute for Luis Figo.

He wore a number 17 jersey at the time since 7 was claimed by Figo. It was only after Figo’s retirement in 2006 that Ronaldo staked claim to the jersey full-time and made it synonymous with his brand CR7. Ronaldo’s last appearance for Portugal was on September 24 in a 1-0 win over Wales, where he was substituted in the 67th minute.

Ronaldo has a final chance to upgrade his international statistics when Portugal, who top Nations League Group A4, host second second-placed Denmark on November 14 in Braga before visiting Wales in their final two group games.