Cristiano retires with a record Messi couldn't surpass
The Portuguese forward brings an end to a 23-year spell with his national team and leaves as the top scorer in the history of men's international soccer. His tally is 20 goals higher than that of Lionel Messi, his eternal rival.
Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from the Portugal national team and brought an end to one of the most extraordinary international careers in football history. After 23 years defending his country's colors, the forward decided to hand back the number 7 shirt and close a chapter marked by titles, records, and unforgettable moments.
His farewell also leaves behind a statistic that once again brings his historic rivalry with Lionel Messi to the forefront. The Portuguese star departs as the all-time top scorer in men's international football, with a margin of 20 goals over the Argentine.
Cristiano Ronaldo's record that Lionel Messi will not be able to reach
The Portuguese forward ended his run with 146 goals in 234 international matches , a figure that keeps him at the very top of the all-time rankings. Messi, for his part, has 126 goals for Argentina in 208 appearances , meaning he still needed 20 goals to match the mark of his eternal rival before his retirement.
The difference is not minor: Cristiano built that record over more than two decades and managed to remain an attacking reference for Portugal until his farewell. The Portuguese player's record remains one of the great individual milestones in international football.
A 23-year career and historic titles with Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo's debut with the senior national team came in 2003. From then on, the forward became the leading figure of a generation that managed to take Portugal to the top of European football. His most important triumph was the 2016 European Championship, the first major international title in the country's history.
That achievement was joined by the UEFA Nations League titles of 2019 and 2025. In addition to his 146 goals , the Portuguese star bids farewell with another historic record: he is the footballer with the most matches played in men's international football, with 234 appearances.
Messi and Cristiano, a rivalry that also shows up in the numbers
The comparison between both footballers spanned virtually an entire era of world football. While Messi managed to lift the 2022 World Cup with Argentina and won two Copa América titles, Cristiano found in the 2016 European Championship his greatest crowning achievement with Portugal.
Now, with the announcement of his international retirement, the Portuguese leaves a mark that sums up another dimension of that rivalry: the number of goals with their national teams.
With the end of both stories, CR7 already has his place secured as the all-time top scorer in men's international football at the moment of his farewell.
