Cristiano Ronaldo's international farewell may already have a fixture attached to it. According to a report carried by Sport1, an unnamed Portuguese agent has told journalist Mohammed Awaad that Ronaldo intends to play his final match for Portugal in September's UEFA Nations League tie against Wales.
The venue, per the report, would be the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon on September 24 — a ground with personal resonance for Ronaldo, whose senior career began just up the road at Sporting CP's academy before he left for Manchester United in 2003.
It is important to be clear about what this is: a report relayed through an agent, not a statement from Ronaldo, the Portuguese federation or Al-Nassr. Portugal have not confirmed a farewell fixture, and Ronaldo himself has repeatedly declined to put a firm date on his international exit.
The speculation follows Portugal's exit from the 2026 World Cup earlier this month, beaten 1-0 by Spain in the round of 16 after a Mikel Merino goal deep in stoppage time. Ronaldo was visibly emotional afterwards, applauding fans around the pitch in Arlington, Texas.
"It's normal, sad, to leave the World Cup like this," he said in the aftermath. "But, as I said yesterday at the press conference, I gave it my all, I gave my best. And I leave with a clear conscience." He stopped short of confirming it was his last game for Portugal, saying he did not want to make that call in the heat of the moment — though he had already confirmed this World Cup would be his last as a tournament.
Portugal have since moved on under new head coach Jorge Jesus, who took the job on a four-year contract and has signalled he won't be tearing up the squad Ronaldo has anchored for two decades. "I'm not stupid," Jesus said of wholesale changes. "On top of that, I don't have enough time to bring in several players who weren't called up this time."
Whenever it comes, the end will close out a record no one is likely to threaten. Ronaldo has 233 caps and 146 goals for Portugal, both the most in the history of men's international football, spanning a European Championship win in 2016 and two Nations League titles, in 2019 and 2025.
Off the pitch, Ronaldo remains under contract with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia through the summer of 2027 and has made clear he wants to reach 1,000 career goals for club and country before he stops playing altogether — a landmark that, at his current pace, could arrive before this season is out.
If the September 24 date holds, it would give Portuguese fans a proper send-off at a stadium Ronaldo knows intimately, rather than the anticlimactic ending in Texas. For now, though, it remains one agent's account of a decision only Ronaldo has the authority to make.
