Cristiano Ronaldo’s longtime friend Luis Nani retires at 38

Legendary Portuguese footballer Luis Nani has announced his retirement at the age of 38. The winger shared the news on his Twitter account.

This past summer, Nani joined Portuguese club Estrela Amadora, where he made 11 appearances and scored one goal this season. Out of the team’s last five matches, Nani played in only one.

“It’s time to say goodbye. I’ve decided to retire from professional football,” Nani wrote on Twitter. “It’s been an incredible journey, and I want to thank everyone who helped and supported me through the highs and lows of a career spanning more than 20 years and giving me so many unforgettable memories. It’s time to turn a new page and focus on new goals and dreams. See you soon!”

The friendship between Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani

Nani and Ronaldo share a long-standing friendship. Starting in 2006, they played together for the Portugal national team. A year later, they both became Manchester United players—Ronaldo had already moved to England in 2003, and Nani joined him four years later.

“At first, I was supposed to stay at a hotel, but Jorge Mendes asked if I would be okay staying with Cristiano. So, Anderson and I moved into Ronaldo’s house,” Nani recalled to The Players' Tribune. “We were young, spoke the same language, and had fun. Cristiano had a swimming pool, a ping-pong table, and a tennis court, so we competed in everything every day.

“Cristiano could never accept losing. We loved it, and we learned so much from him. By the time Anderson and I moved out of his house, we had developed an allergy to losing.”

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Their friendship wasn’t without its challenges. In 2010, during a match against Spain, Ronaldo nearly scored a spectacular goal, but Nani finished the play himself, despite being in an offside position. This decision enraged Ronaldo.

In total, Nani and Ronaldo played 129 matches together.

Luis Nani’s career

Nani began his professional career at Sporting CP in 2005. In addition to the Portuguese “Lions,” he played for Manchester United, Fenerbahçe, Valencia, Lazio, Orlando City, Venezia, Melbourne Victory, Adana Demirspor, and Estrela Amadora. Over his career, Nani played in seven different countries.

Nani’s trophy cabinet includes four Premier League titles, a FIFA Club World Cup, and a UEFA Champions League triumph. With Portugal, he won Euro 2016. Notably, after Ronaldo was substituted due to injury in that final, the captain’s armband was passed to Nani.