There are not many things that Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t already done in his record-breaking career to date, but the 40-year-old ticked off yet another achievement on Wednesday.
The striker scored the winner in Portugal’s 2-1 victory against Germany in the UEFA Nations League semifinal, marking the first time Ronaldo has ever beaten Die Mannschaft.
Ronaldo had lost all five times he previously played Germany and Portugal had not won this fixture in 25 years.
As well as ending the unwanted record, the victory also sent Portugal through to the UEFA Nations League final on June 8 where it will face either defending champion Spain or France.
In his 220th appearance for the national side, Ronaldo yet again proved the difference.
Portugal had initially gone behind in the semifinal after Florian Wirtz headed Germany ahead in the 48th minute, before Francisco Conceição whipped in a brilliant equalizer just after the hour mark.
The stage was then set for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to score the winner just five minutes later, tapping into an open net after Nuno Mendes teed him up with a square pass.
It was Ronaldo’s 137th international goal for Portugal and the 937th of his career, extending the two records he already has.
The last time Portugal beat Germany was back in Euro 2000, when Sérgio Conceição scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win during the group stage.
It was fitting, then, that his son Francisco scored in Wednesday’s win, helping to end the long-running winless streak.
“We need to enjoy the victory. We won for the first time in a while against Germany,” Portugal manager Roberto Martínez said after the game, per Reuters.
“Tactically, we were exceptional and our commitment helped. It was a team victory.
“Now, we can recover and evaluate. We want another performance with personality in this shirt.”
Ronaldo’s uncertain future
Despite his age and the fact he’s been playing in Saudi Arabia for the last three seasons, Ronaldo has proven yet again that he has the ability to still perform at a high level.
But where exactly he will play next season is currently up for debate. The Portuguese star raised questions about his future with a cryptic social media post last month.
“This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Thanks to all,” Ronaldo wrote with a picture of him in his Al Nassr kit.
It comes as FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently suggested that Ronaldo may well play in this year’s inaugural Club World Cup, suggesting a move away from Al Nassr which failed to qualify.
His contract is set to expire at the end of this season leaving him free to sign with any club he chooses.
The post Cristiano Ronaldo ends unwanted record after scoring winner for Portugal against Germany appeared first on CNN.
