🇵🇹👋𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐎’𝐒 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌..🥹🐐 “To the Portuguese people, the day has come to return the number 7 shirt of the national team that belongs to all of us.” “I never felt it belonged exclusively to me. Yet for 23 years, I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and taking it with me into stadiums all across the world.” “Today, the time has come to pass it on to the future. This was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the head alone; they are also made with the heart.” “I bring to an end a journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever. When I look back and think about everything I experienced with the national team, I do not just see matches, goals, records, or trophies.” “Because in the end, football is much bigger than a game. Football is the people. Throughout my entire career with the national team, I sought to push past my limits.” “I wanted to win, I wanted to be the best, I wanted to make history. I held myself to high standards. I always wanted more. I always believed we could go further. And I gave everything I had for this shirt. There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget.” “There were defeats that still hurt to remember today. I made mistakes too. I suffered too. There were also moments when I failed to give the Portuguese people what they wanted so much. Yet I never gave up.” “Above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal. Over these years, I learned very simple things.” “Goals fade into the past, Trophies sit in museums, Records eventually fall, Yet something remains that time can never erase: The place we hold in people’s hearts.” “Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for allowing me to live a dream that began when I was a boy in Madeira, running after a ball.”~Cristiano Ronaldo said - @mideli_rwanda