Real Madrid’s Bernardo Silva pays emotional tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo following international retirement: ‘An inspiration to us all

Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo announced yesterday that he was hanging up his boots for Portugal, bringing the curtain down on a glorious international career.

The announcement has naturally struck a chord at Los Blancos, a club that has celebrated the veteran striker for years.

Among those paying tribute is Real Madrid star Bernardo Silva, who has shared a dressing room with Ronaldo for years.

Taking to Instagram, Silva shared a photograph of himself embracing Ronaldo in the Portugal shirt, accompanied by a heartfelt message expressing his gratitude.

“It was undoubtedly a great honor and pleasure to have played alongside you for so many years! You are an inspiration to us all. Thank you very much for everything, Cristiano,” he wrote.

The message comes after Ronaldo brought his 23-year international career to a close.

The 41-year-old leaves the international stage with a mind-boggling 146 goals in 234 appearances, both world records in men’s football.

He also captained Portugal to their first Euros title in 2016 and Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

Regardless of where their allegiances lie, the football world will come together to bid farewell to a player who has left such a lasting impact on the game.

To borrow a very famous phrase from Mike Tyson, “every head must bow, every tongue must confess, this is the greatest of all time”.

For Real Madrid supporters, Ronaldo’s international retirement brings back glorious memories of his time in the Spanish capital.

Between 2009 and 2018, the Portuguese superstar scored an astonishing 451 goals in 438 competitive appearances for Los Blancos.

He helped the team secure four Champions League titles. Bernardo Silva may not have crossed paths with Ronaldo at Madrid, but he will be happy to be playing for the club now.

His tribute shows how much his teammates respected and continue to respect Ronaldo, and fans will now tune in to Al Nassr matches to keep watching him play for as long as possible.