FULL TEXT: RONALDO PENS EMOTIONAL FAREWELL MESSAGE TO PORTUGUESE PEOPLE

By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

“To the people of Portugal,

The time has come for me to return the national team jersey and captain’s armband, which belong to all of us.

I never considered them mine alone. However, for 23 years, I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing the shirt, defending it and representing my country in stadiums across the world.

Now, the moment has come to hand them over to the next generation.

It has not been an easy decision because some choices are guided not only by the mind but also by the heart.

I am bringing to a close a journey that began in August 2003 and transformed my life forever.

Looking back at my years with the national team, I remember more than matches, goals, records and trophies. I remember the people.

I remember Portuguese immigrants who felt closer to their homeland for 90 minutes whenever we played. I remember millions of Portuguese people I never met personally but who became an important part of my journey.

Ultimately, football is much more than a game. It is about people.

Throughout my international career, I constantly challenged myself to achieve more. I wanted to win, become the best and make history.

I held myself to high standards, always demanded more and believed we could achieve greater things. I gave everything I had for the national team jersey.

There were unforgettable afternoons and nights, memorable victories and painful defeats that remain difficult to recall.

I made mistakes and experienced difficult moments. There were times I could not deliver what the Portuguese people desperately wanted, but I never surrendered.

Above all, I never stopped being proud of representing Portugal.

Over the years, I have come to understand some simple truths: goals are eventually forgotten, trophies find their way into museums and records are eventually broken. However, there is something that time can never erase: the place I occupy in people’s hearts.

If I ever brought you happiness, if any of my goals made you embrace someone, forget your worries for a moment or feel proud of our country, then every sacrifice was worthwhile.

That is also what being Portuguese means.

We suffer together, rise together and find the courage to believe again.

Portugal will always need young dreamers, determined players who refuse to give up and new generations who believe they can achieve what others have never accomplished.

A country that continues to produce new heroes is one that never loses faith in itself.

To my teammates in the national team, I have a special message.

Thank you for every run, every embrace, every disagreement, every moment of silence before stepping onto the pitch, every victory we celebrated and every defeat that made us stronger.

Being your captain was a privilege, but no captain succeeds alone. Each of you is an important part of my story.

To all the coaches, directors, doctors, physiotherapists, kit managers, support staff and everyone who worked alongside me over the years, I am grateful.

Many of you never appeared in the photographs, but without your contributions, those memorable moments would never have been possible.

To my family, thank you for sharing this dream with me.

Thank you for understanding my absences, the sacrifices and the moments when the national team demanded time and attention that should also have belonged to you.

I could only have come this far because we remained together throughout the journey.

And to the people of Portugal, including every Portuguese person across the world, I want to leave you with one final thought.

There is one image I will always cherish.

It is the moment the national anthem begins to play.

I look around and see my teammates and the supporters in the stands.

I see children, mothers, fathers and grandparents. I see Portuguese people who have travelled from distant places just to be there.

In those moments, our differences disappear.

There are no clubs, colours, social classes, professions or differing opinions.

There is only one shared passion: Portugal.”