Hyderabad, Nov. 5 -- Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football in a video statement posted on Thursday, November 5.

Starting his statement by addressing the Portuguese people, Ronaldo said, "The time has come for me to hand back the number 7 shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone."

He said for 23 years, he had the responsibility of wearing it and defending it in stadiums across the world. "Today the time has come to pass it on to the future."

Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003.

Acknowledging the difficulty of the choice, the 41-year-old shared that certain decisions require listening to the heart, not just the mind.

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