Sports 23 July 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to say goodbye to Portugal at Alvalade

Reports say Cristiano Ronaldo will play his final match for Portugal in September, at Lisbon's Estádio José Alvalade. When it is, and why there.

After a World Cup that may have been his last, it seems Cristiano Ronaldo already knows how he wants to close the book with the national team. Several international outlets report that the captain will wear Portugal’s shirt one final time in September — and he has picked a stage that means something.

When is Ronaldo’s last game for Portugal?

According to reports, the farewell is pencilled in for 24 September at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. It is no random venue: it is Sporting’s home, the club where Ronaldo took his first steps in professional football before leaving for Manchester as a teenager. Closing the circle right there is exactly the kind of touch he likes to get right.

The usual caution applies: nothing has been made official by the Portuguese Football Federation or by the player himself. The claim comes from journalists and people close to the process, and dates like this shift easily once national-team calendars get involved.

What numbers does he take with him?

If the goodbye holds, Ronaldo leaves as the most-capped player and top scorer in international football history: 146 goals in 233 caps, two records that will take a long time to threaten. At the 2026 World Cup he scored three goals in five games, including a brace against Uzbekistan and a penalty against Croatia.

At 41, the decision is hardly a shock. What is left to learn is whether this really is the full stop with the national team, or just another chapter in a career that has stretched every deadline it was given. Until September, there is time for the federation to confirm — or deny.

We looked back at Portugal’s World Cup opener and the new era with Jorge Jesus in charge. For the official schedule, keep an eye on the Portuguese Football Federation.

By Vasco Almada

Image: wonker from London, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

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