The end of an era: Ronaldo's final goodbye
Cristiano Ronaldo's 23 years with Portugal in two minutes: from the 18-year-old who replaced Luis Figo in 2003 to Euro 2016 in Paris, a world-record goal tally and the World Cup that got away.
Key points
- 23 years, 234 caps and 146 goals for Portugal, more than any man in history.
- Euro 2004 at home ended in a 1-0 final defeat to Greece when he was 19.
- Paris 2016: carried off injured after 25 minutes, then Eder scored the winner in the 109th minute.
- At 41 he became the first man to score at six World Cups, but the World Cup itself never came.
Read the transcript
It's over. 23 years, 234 caps, 146 goals, more than any man in history. Cristiano Ronaldo has played his last game for Portugal. It started with a skinny kid on a touchline.
August 2003. He's 18. At half time, Luis Figo walks off and the kid runs on. Euro 2004 at home: his first goal for his country, then another in the semi-final.
A nation starts to believe. The final, Greece, 1-0. 19 years old, in tears in front of his own people. Portugal had never won a major trophy, but they'd wait 12 more years.
Figo retired. 17 became seven. Then came the armband. The goals kept coming; the trophy never did.
Paris 2016, the final against France, in France. Minutes in, a heavy tackle on his knee. He tries to play on. He can't.
25 minutes, and he's carried off in tears. The same story all over again. On came a substitute, Eder. He says Ronaldo told him he'd score the winner.
In the 109th minute, he did. Portugal, champions of Europe for the first time. This time the tears were different. After that, the numbers stopped making sense.
Ireland 2021: he misses a penalty, then two late headers, and no man has ever scored more for his country. 200 caps, two Nations League titles. At 40, he scores in a final against Spain. At 41, the first man to score at six World Cups.
The World Cup never came. That one got away. 23 years ago, a legend walked off and a kid ran on. Now it's his turn to walk off.
"Goals pass," he said. "Records get beaten, but time can't erase the place you hold in people's hearts. Portugal will always be in me." Obrigado, Cristiano.
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