GOODBYE, CRISTIANO ❤️🇵🇹

From the skinny teenager I first watched at Manchester United in 2003 to the man who carried Portugal for 23 years, this is more than an international retirement. It is the closing of a chapter of my own childhood.

By Playmaker India | 6 November 2026

Some footballers make you fall in love with the game.

Some make you fall in love with a football club.

And then there are those rare footballers who become a part of your life without ever knowing you exist.

For me, that footballer was Cristiano Ronaldo.

On 5 November 2026, Cristiano announced that his extraordinary journey with the Portuguese national team was coming to an end.

At 41, after 23 years of representing his country, he was preparing to hand back Portugal's famous number seven shirt.

Let me make one thing clear.

Cristiano Ronaldo is not retiring from football.

He will continue playing for Al Nassr. There will still be goals to celebrate, matches to watch and moments of magic to enjoy.

But there will be no new World Cup dreams with Portugal. No more imagining him leading his country into another European Championship.

And somehow, even though I knew this day would eventually come, it still hurts.

Because when I think of Cristiano Ronaldo, I don't just think about 146 international goals, 234 appearances, five Ballon d'Or awards or the trophies.

I think about my childhood.

I think about Manchester United.

And I think about the very first time I saw him.

2003 — The Boy Who Changed Everything

I missed that famous friendly between Sporting CP and Manchester United in 2003.

The match where a young Portuguese winger impressed Sir Alex Ferguson and the Manchester United players so much that the club decided to bring him to Old Trafford.

I didn't watch that match.

My first experience of Cristiano Ronaldo was his Manchester United debut against Bolton Wanderers on 16 August 2003.

I still remember the excitement of watching that young player wearing the number seven shirt.

The blond streaks in his hair. The stepovers. The ridiculous confidence. The desire to take on absolutely everyone.

He was raw, occasionally frustrating, and sometimes tried far too many tricks.

But there was something different about him.

Whenever Manchester United had the ball, I wanted it to reach Cristiano.

I wanted to see what he would do next.

At that age, I had no idea that I was watching a footballer who would go on to become one of the greatest of all time.

I only knew one thing.

I wanted to watch this boy play football again.

And that was the beginning of a relationship with a footballer that has now lasted more than two decades.

2009 — When Ronaldo Left, I Cried

By 2009, Cristiano wasn't just another Manchester United player to me.

He was my favourite footballer.

I had watched him evolve from a flashy youngster into the best player in the world.

The Premier League titles, the Champions League triumph in Moscow, the unforgettable goals, the free kicks, the 2008 Ballon d'Or.

He had become everything I wanted to see in a footballer.

And then came Real Madrid.

I knew he had always dreamed of playing there. I knew Manchester United couldn't keep him forever.

But knowing something doesn't make it easier to accept.

I cried when Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United.

I genuinely did.

For almost a year, I couldn't bring myself to watch La Liga.

It wasn't because I disliked Spanish football.

I simply couldn't accept seeing Cristiano Ronaldo wearing another club's shirt.

That white Real Madrid jersey felt wrong.

In my mind, Cristiano belonged at Old Trafford, wearing red, running down the wing and making defenders miserable.

Eventually, though, I started watching Real Madrid.

Quietly.

Almost secretly.

Most of my friends were Barcelona supporters. They loved Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and everything that incredible Barcelona team represented.

And there I was, secretly supporting Real Madrid.

Not because I suddenly loved Real Madrid.

But because Cristiano Ronaldo played for them.

Looking back, that was probably when I realised something.

My loyalty to Manchester United was one thing. My love for Cristiano Ronaldo was something entirely different.

I could never stop supporting United.

But wherever Ronaldo went, a part of me would follow him.

2013 — The Night I Hated Real Madrid, But Never Cristiano

Then came March 2013.

Manchester United versus Real Madrid.

The Champions League.

Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo returning to the stadium where I had first watched him all those years earlier.

Except this time, he was the opposition.

I was conflicted even before kickoff.

I wanted Manchester United to win. Desperately.

And then came the moment that still irritates me whenever I remember it.

Nani's red card.

United had been in control of the tie, but that decision changed everything.

Real Madrid came back.

And of all the players who could have scored against United, it had to be Cristiano Ronaldo.

He scored the goal that put Madrid through.

I was furious.

I hated Real Madrid that night.

I hated the result, the red card, the elimination and the feeling that United had been robbed of a special European night.

But Cristiano?

Never.

I could not hate him.

Even when he scored against the club I loved, I couldn't bring myself to turn against him.

And when he showed respect instead of celebrating wildly against his former club, it reminded me of the Cristiano I had grown up watching.

That night taught me that my love for Ronaldo was never conditional on which shirt he wore.

2016 — When Portugal Finally Belonged to Cristiano

There was always something different about watching Cristiano play for Portugal.

Club football was complicated.

Manchester United, Real Madrid, rivalries, friendships, arguments about Messi — there was always something.

Portugal was different.

When Cristiano wore that red national team shirt, none of those rivalries mattered to me.

I simply wanted him to win.

And then came Euro 2016.

The final against France.

I watched Cristiano leave the pitch injured and in tears.

For a man who had spent his entire career fighting to be the best, being unable to finish the biggest match of his international career must have been devastating.

But Portugal kept fighting.

Éder scored.

Portugal won.

And Cristiano Ronaldo finally lifted a major international trophy.

Watching him celebrate that victory was special.

Because for years, people had questioned whether he could deliver international success to Portugal.

And now, even after suffering the heartbreak of that injury, he was a European champion.

That trophy meant more than another medal.

It was a reward for years of carrying expectations, dealing with criticism and refusing to give up on his country.

2018 — That Free Kick Against Spain

If someone asks me to choose one Cristiano Ronaldo performance for Portugal, I will always think about the 2018 World Cup.

Portugal versus Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo against one of the strongest national teams in the world.

At 33 years old, he produced an unforgettable hat-trick.

But it was the third goal that stayed with me.

Spain were leading 3–2.

Time was running out.

Portugal had a free kick just outside the penalty area.

Cristiano stood over the ball.

We had all seen that familiar stance hundreds of times.

The concentration. The deep breath. The run-up.

And then he struck it.

Straight into the top corner.

3–3.

I still remember the feeling.

How does this man continue to produce these moments?

How does he keep finding something extraordinary when his team needs him most?

There have been thousands of talented footballers.

But Ronaldo had something that always fascinated me.

He refused to accept that a match was over simply because the clock was running out.

And that is the Cristiano Ronaldo I will always remember in a Portugal shirt.

2018 — Juventus, And the Realisation That I Would Follow Him Anywhere

When Cristiano moved to Juventus, something had changed in me.

I didn't cry like I had in 2009.

I had grown older.

And I understood that clubs would change, leagues would change and football would continue moving forward.

But one thing remained constant.

I would keep following Cristiano.

So I started watching Juventus.

I watched Serie A because he played there.

His game had changed from the young winger I first saw at Manchester United.

He wasn't doing endless stepovers anymore.

He had become a different footballer. More direct, more ruthless and increasingly obsessed with scoring goals.

And I enjoyed watching that transformation.

Because, in a strange way, I was watching someone grow older alongside me.

He was no longer that 18-year-old kid.

And I wasn't the same young football supporter I had been in 2003 either.

2021 — Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, And Peter Drury

Then came the moment I never thought I would experience again.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United.

I genuinely cannot describe the happiness I felt.

Twelve years after leaving Old Trafford, my number seven was coming home.

And Peter Drury made that return even more emotional.

His commentary about Ronaldo's journey from Madeira to Manchester, Madrid, Turin and back to Manchester felt like poetry.

It wasn't just the return of a footballer.

It felt like a part of my childhood had returned with him.

Then came Newcastle United.

11 September 2021.

Old Trafford.

Cristiano scored twice.

I cannot explain how happy I was watching that match.

For a brief moment, it felt like the years between 2009 and 2021 had disappeared.

And the memories didn't stop there.

Atalanta.

That brilliant comeback at Old Trafford, with Ronaldo scoring the winner in a 3–2 victory.

Then the away match in Bergamo, where his stoppage-time equaliser rescued a 2–2 draw.

Tottenham Hotspur.

March 2022.

A 37-year-old Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick, including a spectacular long-range strike and the winning header.

He was still doing it.

Still producing match-winning moments.

Still making me feel exactly how I had felt watching him in 2003.

But unfortunately, the homecoming didn't end the way I wanted.

2022 — The Second Manchester United Heartbreak

The final months of Cristiano Ronaldo's second spell at Manchester United were painful to watch.

There was frustration.

There were disagreements.

There were questions about his role in the team.

And then came the Piers Morgan interview.

I won't lie.

Something broke inside me when that happened.

I had dreamed of Ronaldo returning to Manchester United for years.

I wanted him to finish his career at Old Trafford with the supporters singing his name.

I wanted him to receive the farewell that someone of his stature deserved.

Instead, everything fell apart.

The public disagreements, the interview and ultimately his departure left a bitter feeling.

I didn't agree with everything Cristiano said or did.

Loving a footballer doesn't mean defending every decision he makes.

But after watching him for nearly twenty years, how could I suddenly hate him?

I couldn't.

I didn't hate him when he left for Real Madrid.

I didn't hate him when he scored against United.

And I couldn't hate him when his second spell ended painfully.

Because you cannot erase twenty years of beautiful memories because of one difficult chapter.

Al Nassr — I Watched Less, But I Never Stopped Following

When Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia, my football-watching habits changed.

By then, life was different.

I had more responsibilities.

Work, family, creating football content, and everything else that comes with growing older.

I couldn't sit in front of the television for every Ronaldo match anymore.

And I will admit something.

I watched far fewer Al Nassr matches than I watched during his time in Europe.

But there was one thing I never stopped doing.

Watching his highlights.

Every goal I could find.

Every free kick.

Every celebration.

Every little reminder of the player I had followed since 2003.

Sometimes I'd watch them late at night.

Sometimes the next morning.

It didn't really matter.

I just wanted to know how Cristiano had played.

Perhaps that's what happens when someone has been part of your footballing life for over two decades.

You don't have to watch every minute to care about every moment.

And even now, with his international retirement announced, that part of my life isn't ending.

Cristiano is still playing club football.

I can still watch him at Al Nassr.

I can still celebrate his goals.

And I will continue doing exactly that for as long as he plays.

5 November 2026 — Portugal's Number Seven Says Goodbye

And now we arrive at the news I always knew would come, but never really wanted to hear.

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football.

After 23 years, he is preparing to hand over Portugal's number seven shirt, with his international farewell set around the November break.

Just think about what those 23 years represent.

234 appearances.

146 international goals.

Six World Cups.

A European Championship in 2016.

UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

An international career that began in August 2003, the very same month I first watched him play for Manchester United.

And now that chapter is coming to an end.

There will be another Portuguese number seven.

There will be new heroes, new records, new tournaments and new generations of supporters.

Portugal will move forward, just as football always does.

But for those of us who grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo, it won't feel quite the same.

Because I remember the young winger trying to establish himself in the national team.

I remember the heartbreak of Euro 2004.

I remember the tears of Euro 2016.

I remember that extraordinary free kick against Spain in 2018.

And now I am watching the same man say goodbye to the shirt he wore for more than two decades.

It makes me realise how quickly life passes.

Cristiano Isn't Leaving Football. But A Part of My Childhood Is.

This is perhaps the most difficult thing to explain.

Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't retired from football.

There will still be club matches.

There will still be Al Nassr highlights.

There will still be goals, celebrations and moments that remind us why he became such a special footballer.

But a part of my footballing childhood is ending.

The boy I first watched at Old Trafford in 2003 became a Manchester United legend, a Real Madrid icon, a Juventus star, and one of the greatest players ever to represent Portugal.

And I followed him through all of it.

I cried when he left United.

I secretly supported Real Madrid when my friends supported Barcelona.

I was heartbroken when he knocked United out of the Champions League.

I celebrated his international triumph in 2016.

I watched his return to Old Trafford with the same excitement I had felt as a child.

And even when things ended badly at Manchester United, I never stopped loving him.

Some people might find that strange.

After all, he's just a footballer, right?

But anyone who has genuinely loved football understands that it is never just about football.

Certain players become connected to particular moments of your life.

When you watch their old matches, you don't just remember the goals.

You remember where you were.

Who you were watching with.

How old you were.

What your life looked like at that moment.

And Cristiano Ronaldo has been part of almost every chapter of my footballing life.

One Last Thing, Cristiano

You will probably never read this.

You don't know me.

You don't know that there was a young Manchester United fan who cried when you left in 2009.

You don't know that someone stopped watching La Liga for almost a year because he couldn't accept seeing you play for Real Madrid.

You don't know that someone secretly cheered for Madrid simply because you were wearing their number seven shirt.

You don't know how much happiness your return to Manchester United brought that same supporter twelve years later.

And you certainly don't know how many ordinary days you made special with a goal, a celebration or just one moment of magic.

But I know.

And I will always remember.

Thank you for the memories.

Thank you for the goals.

Thank you for the impossible comebacks.

Thank you for making me believe that hard work, ambition and determination can take someone from a small island in Madeira to the very top of world football.

Thank you for giving us so many moments in the red shirt of Portugal.

And thank you for making me fall in love with football a little more every time I watched you play.

I am not saying goodbye to Cristiano Ronaldo the footballer. Not yet.

I know that one day, the final club match will arrive too.

And I genuinely don't know how I will handle that day.

But that is a heartbreak for another time.

Today, I am saying goodbye to Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal's number seven.

The captain.

The European champion.

The record-breaker.

The boy from Madeira who carried the dreams of an entire nation.

The shirts changed. The clubs changed. The leagues changed. And we all grew older.

But one thing never changed. My love for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Obrigado, Cristiano. ❤️🇵🇹

Not goodbye to football.

Just goodbye to one of its most beautiful international stories.

Forever my number seven.

— A fan since 2003, and a fan forever.

Playmaker India

Reporting sources: FIFA – Cristiano Ronaldo's international retirement | Manchester United – Ronaldo retires from international football